17 Jun 2020  |   04:50am IST

A book for the times

Sixty five poems on subjects as diverse as rage, advocates and the coronavirus makes for interesting reading and the poetess, a one-time teacher hopes it will catch the attention of her fellow Goans.

Ajit John

A book featuring sixty-five poems on subjects as diverse as the Coronavirus, the rage that has enveloped parts of the world following the killing of George Floyd and the role of advocates has been released in Goa.

Bernedita Rosinha Pinto book titled Waves Of Enchantment In Goa was released earlier in the week. Speaking to the Café, Bernedita said “I have been a poet since childhood, this is my second book and with all that is happening around us, I felt the people would be interested in this book. My poems are meaningful, they are real. Readers will enjoy reading these poems.”

The book highlights the various aspects of life and the role of people in it. She said “ This poem book written by me to create an awareness among people about various aspects of life such as role of advocates and lawyers and about people who help us in our daily lives from doctors to grocers. I have also written about rage and the futility of rage which is become very common in our lives and all over the world”.

The poems also focus on highlighting the respect for woman and the essence of womanhood. She also highlights the importance of keeping the cities clean and a poem is dedicated to that subject.  Bernedita said “   The Waves of Enchantment is about the beautifulness of our Goa and about the simplicity and friendliness of our Goan people. Our nature promotes our Goa's image as an environmentally friendly destination. Our Sea Shores are very scenic and enchanting with beautiful mountains and hills around them and the loving nature of our people makes visitors return back to enjoy Goan hospitality and wonder. The wonder lies in our Churches and Cathedrals, Temples and Marketplaces which are very majestic and amusing. So the enchantment is felt in all the waves that rise in Goa whether it is the picturistic shores or our heritage and culture which attracts people to our unity and friendship”.
 The book is also dedicated to her late brother Alan Rodrigues. The poetess has another book titled  Come to Our Goa which is available for reading at the Central Library in Panjim and Margao and it is also placed in the RajaRam Mohan Roy Library in Calcutta.

She says her book always takes time because she waits for inspiration which takes its own sweet time. She said “I have been a poet since childhood. My late maternal Grandfather Adv. Emidio Souza of Calangute was my tutor and he would always insist on reading poems besides learning my daily lessons and doing my homework. I am grateful to my mother and my late brother Alan who encouraged me to continue writing poetry”.

She says her poems are focused on the simple things in life, things that people experience everyday.

She was an international teacher and worked in the middle east for many years in various Schools. She was a teacher at the Rahima Academy in Saudi Arabia and I have been given an Award as a Certificate of Appreciation for her services as a teacher during the Gulf War of 1990 - Operation Desert Shield - Desert Storm. She also taught at the Model School in UAE (United Arab Emirates) and was appointed as a teacher for the Kids Club in Finland, Europe where she was tasked to teach ESL (English as a Second Language) to Finnish students.

Her love for Goa brought her back home. She has another book that will be launched shortly and she hopes this book will showcase her name.