I’ve taken my time to write a review of “Eartha,” the latest book of ecological poetry by Vinita Agrawal. You might wonder why this is taking longer than usual. I genuinely love the poems; they speak to me deeply. But somehow, putting my thoughts into words has been a struggle. It took a full day of diving into the manuscript, listening carefully to the whispers of nature around me. And then, the realization hit me hard. Agrawal’s poems are beautiful yet heartbreaking, filled with revelations and moments that can feel overwhelmingly sad. Sometimes, facing the truth is simply too much to bear.
The Voice of Nature
The endpaper of “Eartha” features a striking image from the 2nd century AD. It shows three soothsayers interpreting Queen Maya’s dream of giving birth to Buddha, with a scribe diligently recording everything. Agrawal suggests this might be the earliest example of written words in India. This point is significant because it connects the unspoken voice of nature with the dreams and prophecies discussed throughout the book.
From the very beginning, with a dedication to “every living entity and our Planet Earth,” Agrawal invites both readers and non-readers into a conversation about our world. She tells me, “For someone who loves nature, it’s only natural to write about the devastation surrounding us.” Agrawal sees poetry as a crucial tool to make readers aware of the urgent crisis facing our planet. She believes words can be powerful tools for good. In her poetic journey, Agrawal takes on the role of a journalistic voice, engaging in conversations with the creatures of our planet, even those that have become extinct.
For instance, she asks the now-extinct Splendid Poison Frog, “Did the sun flicker at your vanishing act?” In many cases, her questions go unanswered, echoing a silence for those who are no longer here. “One afternoon, I questioned, ‘Why isn’t the sparrow hungry?’ The sparrow isn’t hungry because there are no more sparrows. I could drown in the darkness of absent sparrows.”
Sometimes, these poems turn into prayers. In “Forgive Me, Amur,” she pleads with the Amur leopard, who is on the verge of being among the countless species we’ve lost. Agrawal doesn’t shy away from the harsh reality: “Mankind itself is about to end,” she warns in “Message to the Species that have Gone Extinct.” If that weren’t the case, she adds, “I wouldn’t be writing this. We wouldn’t be begging for forgiveness.”
However, even within the heaviness of these stark truths, a note of defiance and hope shines through. For instance, the Ginkgo tree’s resilience is celebrated as it continues to thrive in Hiroshima, even after its destruction. Similarly, Jujube and Persimmon trees speak of a “language of survival.” This reminds me of how, after the Chernobyl disaster in 1986, nature began to heal itself. Wolves, boars, bears, and deer started to reclaim the forests, showing us that renewal is possible even in the harshest conditions.
A Quest for Survival
In the title poem “Eartha,” Agrawal presents a vision of a nurturing Goddess holding the Earth gently. She suggests that wrapping a shawl around Earth’s injured form is more challenging than it seems. To create this shawl from shatoosh, angora, or tiger skin would mean harming innocent animals. Instead, she chooses to offer a simple gesture: her own arms. This symbolizes the compassionate embrace of a mother holding her child.
In another poem, “To Orchid,” Agrawal implores us to “stay in the game when roses and violets are wilting,” highlighting the need for hope and action. She encourages us to adapt and transform our language and ideas to give all species the best chance for survival. But she also raises a vital question—what happens when our words run out? “Silence and softness of a forest allow you to collect your thoughts,” she explains. Earth has its own language, even without words.
Agrawal captures the silence that follows the loss, as seen in “The last Call of the Kuai’i o’ o’,” where a bird, last heard in Hawaii in 1987, calls for a mate that will never return. This stark sorrow resonates deeply and leaves both the poet and the reader in a solemn state of grief.
To pull back from the brink of this despair, Agrawal offers her most powerful tool: the pen. Through her writing, she becomes the voice of our planet, reminding us all that, “You and I are the earth’s voice; let’s speak up.”
Vinita concludes, “Poetry must come from the heart and impact the reader; that’s what truly matters.” Every poem in “Eartha” emanates from a place of deep compassion—an essential call to act, repair, and preserve our diverse and beautiful planet.
#Eartha #VinitaAgrawal #EcologicalPoetry #NatureLovers #ProtectOurPlanet #PoetryCommunity #WildlifeConservation #SaveTheEarth
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