Prerna Gill’s refreshing poetic voice that does not pander to easy rhetoric and comprehension. If good poetry is all about the silences between words, the spaces between the lines, Meanwhile is a collection that lives up to the test.
In a conversation with Scroll, the poet spoke about her debut book of poems, her inspirations, her perceptions of different colours, and more. Excerpts from the interview:
Your author’s note starts off almost defensive about “putting the book out”. It also provides a glimpse of what poetry means to you: “…when the guests leave … room is far too still”. Why do you call it narcissistic, and why poetry? Does it help cope with whatever it is that you seek?
Writing is a way through which I examine how I may still be compromised – by fears, by a stillness that some may call the blues, other’s ennui or even laziness. I think this form of introspection also helps me see how and where I have healed from issues I struggle with, like anxiety. It is therapeutic, almost, and points to how I may show myself grace and where I have some work to do. When poetry does so much for me it almost feels selfish, as…
