haruah

The Sea has Wings by Rebecca Mabanglo-Mayor . A stunning poem. Bec has got this strong, lyrical voice that stays with the reader.


the sea has wings that beat the scent
of mangrove trees and sampaguita
across the waves,

Love that image.

This poem has got to be one of the best pieces to appear on Haruah yet. The images in these lines are so compelling, I regret not being able to paint or draw, because this poem haunted me with visions of a woman standing at the edge of water at the break of day and the wind flowing into her as she catches up magic in her hair, in her arms, in her cloak.

The Sea has Wings.

***

Over at Haruah a question was raised as to what kind of work Haruah is looking for. I think it's harder to define work and choice as the editorial team is comprised of more than one person and we all have very different tastes. So, while I do have some say in the decision process, it is more of a majority rules process.

Personally though, I find it a bit maddening to receive tons of preachy work and work that has obviously not gone through a good criticque group. A writer should never underestimate the value of objective feedback, even if it's just to pick out all those little grammatical boo-boos we tend to make.

Here was my response on that thread over at Haruah:

You can say, I've got a pretty eclectic taste when it comes to poetry.

I admire lyric poetry just as much as I admire experimental and edgy work. I do love work that pushes the boundaries. In fiction and poetry, I tend to shy away from preachy. There are excellent ways of handling religious themes without preaching to the reader. I like work that engages the reader, work that challenges the reader, and yes definitely well-written.

Darker themes are welcome. Life is not all roses and sunshine.

I believe that in some way, Haruah longs to break through certain stereotypes clinging to "christian" writing.

More on this subject at another date. My eyes are swelled up again and my sinuses are killing me.