A WORD is dead
When it is said,
Some say.
I say it just
Begins to live
That day.

That’s what Emily Dickinson says. Kritya thinks about life which transforms the words into poetry; I feel that a number of dead words get life when they translate themselves into poetry. Poetry and words have a very unique relationship. Words became powerful in poetry, but poetry is not just words. There is something which gives life to poetry, something more than words. Then from where do these words get power? Vedant says that the word itself is a Supreme Power. Shabdah Brahmah- the shabd is Brahma, and this means creative power. Indian philosophy, especially Vedic philosophy, equates the ‘kavi’ (Poet) to Brahma. Thus ‘kavi’ could be the creator of this universe.

Thus the importance which Vedic philosophy gives to “Shabd-brahman” or “word-creator” is more than what we give to poetry in our times. In India, where cricketers are million dollar babies, poets are wandering around without getting any recognition whatsoever. I wonder where the word power has gone. Have the poets become incapable, or have their words lost their meanings, or has the world which was created by the power of word ( shabda shakti) become powerless?

Kritya has been trying to find answers to these questions for almost three years, and feels that words still have power, what is necessary is to make them visible and audible to those who cannot see or listen to them.

I am happy to present most of the female voices in this issue. though It ws not planned.

I am sure readers would love the poems.

best wishes

Rati Saxena