Bhubaneswar: The city-based ‘Bhubaneswar Poetry Club’ (BPC) has started a podcast series to provide inspiration and companionship to people during the ongoing 21-day lockdown to battle the pandemic coronavirus. Titled, ‘Poets-on-Air’ the programme will comprise poems on various themes that will be recited to cheer up the people during lockdown.
Sourav Panda a member of BPC informed that the initiative was launched in 2019. “We started the programme last year as a radio talk show. We talk to people, understand their situations and accordingly dedicate a poem that will inspire them and also cheer them up,” Panda said.
After the lockdown was implemented in Odisha, we realised poetry can help people, so we thought of taking poetry to their phones. One just has to plug in their earphones to listen to the recitations and I am certain it will lighten up their moods. This week poems by Mary Oliver, William Henley, Gulzaar, Joy Harjo, Theodore Roethke were recited. We have done five episodes so far, and are planning for more in the coming days. We will also include some well-known Odia poets and their poems in the list,” Panda added.
Adyasha Mishra another member of BPC informed that the podcasts are recorded and arranged remotely by the volunteers of BPC from their respective locations.
The podcasts are available on music streaming apps such as ‘Spotify’ and ‘Itunes’ as well as on Facebook and Instagram handle of ‘Bhubaneswar Poetry Club’.
“This is a time when community owned clubs and societies, such as ours, have a significant role to play in ensuring the mental well-being of people and we are honoured to do our small bit in these times of crises,” Mishra said.
Sanchita another member said that the ‘Bhubaneswar Poetry Club’ is a community owned initiative founded in 2015. It is managed by a team of core members ‘who try and take inspirational and wonderful poems out of the books and to the hearts of people’.
She added that the present situation isn’t a simple narrative of one virus and so many deaths. The lockdown can drain everyone out economically, socially, psychologically, physically and mentally. Hence poems at this point of time can be whiff of fresh air to those who are under lockdown.
ARINDAM GANGULY, OP