Dear Friends,
It is a pleasure to share Whispers’ first interview with you. Isha
Wagner is an accomplished poet from New Zealand who has been contributing her
insightful poetry for our online journal since 2013. She has been an
international traveler, connecting with others that embrace the gift of words.
Her writing conveys cultures, allowing us to travel with her.
Thank you, Isha, for sharing
your thoughts for this interview…
Karen--Where are you from?
Isha--I was born in
Wellington, the capital of New Zealand. I am fifth generation New
Zealander of Scottish/English heritage.
Karen--How would you describe
your life?
Isha--I am a traveler,
traveling over the world from a young age.
Karen--Why do you write?
Isha--Perhaps to express an
idea and perhaps, more importantly, to communicate with others...always a deep
desire to write in words something one wants to express in the written word.
Karen--How did your interest
in poetry begin?
Isha--I recall sitting on a
park bench when about seven years old saying to myself--I will
be a writer and that stayed in my mind. So, I began to write little
poems, but these were not accepted well so I stopped and decided to wait till I
was an adult. (Editor's thoughts--It is so sad that people can't
celebrate and encourage young writers. I hope if anyone knows of a young writer
that the Whispers community can celebrate, please email me at
karenoleary1956@gmail.com)
Karen--Have you any preferred
style of poetry you like to write in?
Isha--I prefer to write
freely. When writing rhymed poetry, it always seems to me to be contrived
and somewhat false or pretentious. And yet I know this is not so in
reality, it's simply as I see it. I just write as I write without--as I
see it--without restriction.
Karen--If you could make a
wish and have it come true what would it be?
Isha--This is difficult to
answer as each day I have a different wish: I could say there is not one
specific wish I wish for. Today, writing these few words, my wish is to
live forever. And, tomorrow I may wish I had never been born!
Yesterday, I wished for a disease-free world. As said, one has varied
opinions.
Karen--If you had a chance to
live your life again, what would you change?
Isha--I would change my
thought processes, have a clearer, sharper mind, become all-knowing and
probably go into the sciences and study physics.
Karen--What final words would
you like to say to the reader?
Isha--Write as if your life
depends on it which in a sense it does. Despite little praise or words of
encouragement, there is a degree of satisfaction especially when you look back
at your earlier work and think did I write that? There is, after all,
much comfort to be derived from putting your thoughts and ideas that spring up
spontaneously - into written poetry. And you will never know how much
pleasure and even meaning you can give to others' lives.
Karen—In closing, Isha’s
poetry has been celebrated and appreciated at Whispers. She encourages others with her insightful comments for
them. We reach out--we cross borders--we grow. I will let Isha’s poem and bio share
the rest of this column. Thank you so much, Isha, for this interview.
Blessings,
Karen O'Leary
Whispers' Editor
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Birthday at Tatum Park
a chilly August windless blue
sky day
and the elegantly served
afternoon tea
of Earl Grey and English
Breakfast
with silver pots and fine
bone china
gladden the eyes glazed with
cataract
and distracts the minds from
rheumatic limbs
later we walk amongst the
statues of trees
planted by settlers over a
century ago
the camera in my hands awaits
to capture
the face of a child of
seventy-five this day
pinched, wrinkled, thinning
bright white hair
with aloof but thick knowing
eyes
lens pointed to immortalise
the nostalgia
please, she says gently,
don't
I look so different from how
I feel
her remark astounds me
I put the camera away and
leave this moment alone
Isha Wagner is a New Zealand
poet. She has resided in many countries including Iceland, Libya, India, and
Australia. She read some of her work at the VIII International Poetry Festival
held in Granada, Nicaragua, in February 2012. She has had three collections of
poetry published.
