Fifteen year old Ashfa Nilabdeen launched her first poetry collection, ‘Does Poetry Heal Feelings?’ at the Bishop’s College Auditorium last week. The collection has 30 poems that mostly reflect experiences the teenager has had while growing up in Sri Lanka and in Saudi Arabia.

 

 

As an only child, Ashfa started jotting down her thoughts from a young age and would pen down a verse or two for special occasions such as birthdays of a family member or friend. When Ashfa had to abruptly leave Sri Lanka and relocate in Riyadh, as her father a former intelligence officer had to leave the country for security reasons, Ashfa learnt about letting go the hard way and had to adapt to her new environment. Surrounded by unknown faces she devoted her time to writing and realized that in its own way it acted as a healer.

 

 

‘Does Poetry Heal Feelings?’ reflects on the real life experiences of the young poet. The poem titled ‘The Unplanned Moment’ talks about her first hand experience when the tsunami struck in 2004. The terror everyone felt as they watched the sea take away life after life regardless of whoever they were, is well described in the poem.   

 

 

At the launch of Ashfa’s publication, State Counsel Rajeev Gunathilake, a former toastmaster champion reviewed the book and pointed out the maturity, the young poet had shown through her poetry. 

 

 

Citing verses from the poem, ‘They Can’t Rule Me’, Gunathilake said that it dealt with a mature theme that every human being encounters at some point in his/her life. It speaks of coming to terms with who you are as you grow up and overcoming what people may say about you.

 

 

So does poetry heal feelings? In my opinion it does. The purest form of poetry which unleashes raw emotion and feeling is the first step to a healing process.

 

 

By Sherwani Synon

Pics by Pradeep Dilrukshana