There’s a lot more to Tejdeep Kaur Menon’s poem The Porus Earth than meets the eye. Told from the perspective of a free-flowing pristine river that ends up having to deal with hurdles posed by man like bridges, dams that change her path and rampant discharge of pollutants, the poem is an allegory to a woman’s life. Born free and hopeful, she soon has to deal with societal pressures that slowly curb her freedom and vibrancy. One of her most acclaimed pieces of works, the poem was recently translated on stage by Bharatanatyam dancers Kiranmayee Madupu and Priya Premanand.
“Two of my earlier poems had also been translated through dance by Ananda Sankar Jayant. So when Hemamalini Arni approached me to translate The Porous Earth into a ballet by her students, I was more than game. It’s a beautiful way to do so. The poem is the story of a river or of a young girl that faces ecological devastation and societal pressures,” says Tejdeep. She adds, “Poetry is something that comes easily and naturally to me. I love it when my works are translated on stage; that’s the only way to give them a visual perspective. It is a wonderful medium,” she says.
Being a hard-core nature lover and feminist, the poem is a collusion of Tejdeep’s beliefs and passions. “ The Porous Earth is a reflection of my nature. I’ve written many poems that have a hidden woman meaning. It could be the story of a flower or a river, but they all have a deeper meaning to them. Poetry is my way of channelling my thoughts onto paper,” she says.
Why poetry?Tejdeep’s love for poetry began at a very young age and has remained a passion since. The otherwise tough IPS officer displays her sensitive side through her penmanship and has so far penned over 500 poems and has published four anthologies. “As a young girl I loved my language classes and poetry caught my imagination. I also belong to a difficult period and I’m the daughter of refugees. Poetry was my best outlet. I am a very sensitive person and poetry is my passion,” she says.
“People might be surprised by the disparity between my profession and passion. But the source for both of them is the same; trauma and hardship are best channelled through these two media. It helps a lot to be able to vent my feelings through poems,” she explains.
The poet has plans to release her next anthology within the next six months. “I have an unpublished volume of works that I plan to release in the next six months,” she says.
