Spanning family, childhood, motherhood, and patriotism, ‘Vividha’, a debut poetry collection by 80-year-old Geeta Vasant Bhate, reflects life’s many experiences through verse
VINIKA VISWAMBHARAN
A lifetime of observations, memories, and quiet reflection has found expression in ‘Vividha’, a poetry collection by Geeta Vasant Bhate. This debut anthology by the 80-year- old gathers poems she wrote over seven to eight years, often in the brief pauses between family responsibilities.
A resident of Narve, Bicholim, Bhate says writing has always been a part of her life, despite never receiving formal literary training. “I studied only up to around the Class 7 -8, but I always loved art and literature,” she recalls. “Even in school, I would write little pieces now and then. My teachers appreciated my writing and even selected some of it for the school magazine. That encouragement stayed with me.”
Although marriage and motherhood left little room for creative pursuits, the urge to write never disappeared. During the years she lived in Panaji with her family, she continued putting her thoughts on paper whenever she found a spare moment. “I never really sat down with the intention of writing a book,” she says. “Whenever I had some free time, I would write whatever came to my mind.”
Rather than focusing on a single subject, Bhate’s first collection, ‘Vividha’, embraces a variety of themes. True to its title, meaning ‘diverse’, the anthology includes patriotic poems, lullabies, children’s songs, personal reflections and poems inspired by her mother, reflecting different stages and experiences of life.
While the poems came together over several years, the journey to seeing them in print proved far longer. Bhate had long hoped to see the collection published. She admits she had little support initially and often worried that her handwritten manuscripts would simply be discarded one day. “I used to tell everyone that these poems should be published, otherwise they would eventually end up in the trash,” she shares. “It was my children who finally took the initiative and made this book possible.”
Among the many poems in the collection, one remains especially close to her heart. ‘Maaher’, which reflects on a married daughter’s memories of her mother and her maternal home, draws from emotions that many women continue to identify with long after marriage.
Beyond personal experiences, Bhate has also used poetry to express ideas she feels deserve greater attention. One such example is her inclusion of lullabies for baby girls. “In many traditional lullabies, the child is imagined as Lord Ram, Krishna or another male deity,” she explains. “I wanted to write lullabies for girls too. The birth of a daughter should be celebrated just as much as the birth of a son.”
She hopes these lullabies encourage families to embrace daughters with the same joy and affection traditionally reserved for boys.
Adding a personal touch to the publication are the book’s cover and back cover illustrations, painted in watercolour and poster colours by her grand daughter, Sanvi Abhisheki.
And the poet has no plans to translate this Marathi collection into any other language. “When poetry is translated, the rhythm and rhyme often disappear. The original language usually allows the poems to retain the feeling with which they were written.”
Her hope is that the collection will become more than just a book on a shelf. She would like readers to make her poems part of everyday family life. “I want people to read these poems to their children, younger siblings and even their parents. I would be happy if people sing the lullabies or recite poems together.”
For Bhate, the message extends beyond poetry itself. She believes everyone should nurture some form of artistic expression. “Art is something that stays with you throughout your life,” she says. “Whatever form it takes, keep one art with you.”
