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Wet Silence: Poems about Hindu Widows
"Sweta Vikram captures bold raw passion, poignant reality and crafts a powerful voice for the voiceless."--Kate Campbell Stevenson, Actor & ProducerWet Silence bears moving accounts of Hindu widows in India. The book raises concern about the treatment of widowed women by society; lends their stories a voice; shares their unheard tales about marriage; reveals the heavy hand of patriarchy; and, addresses the lack of companionship and sensuality in their lives. This collection of poems covers a myriad of social evils such as misogyny, infidelity, gender inequality, and celibacy amongst other things. The poems in the collection are bold, unapologetic, and visceral. The collection will haunt you. "Nothing short of sacred genius, Wet Silence reads with a sensual and dangerous grace. It is a body of work that ushers presence into absence and love into a world that has all but done away with the word." --Slash Coleman, author of The Bohemian Love Diaries and blogger for Psychology Today."Sweta's poems did a powerful job at highlighting the mental and sexual abuse, violence, loneliness and the pain experienced by millions of widows in India. Why I ask, is being a widow a crime?" --Shruti Kapoor, Founder of Sayfty, an organization that helps women protect themselves against violence"In a gorgeous choir of reclaimed voices, Sweta Srivastava Vikram tells the stories of women forgotten and passed over, women silenced and without choices, women who ‘don't exist'--Hindu widows. Through the magical breath of her poetry Vikram not only animates these women's hopes, sorrows, dreams, and defeats, she lovingly restores them to honor."--Melissa Studdard, award-winning author of I Ate the Cosmos for Breakfast.Learn more at www.SwetaVikram.comFrom the World Voices series at Modern History PressPOE005060 Poetry : American - Asian American SOC028000 Social Science : Women's Studies - General FAM001000 Family & Relationships : Abuse - General
- GenresPoetry
73 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2015
About the author
Sweta Srivastava Vikram
17 books45 followersSweta Srivastava Vikram (www.swetavikram.com), featured by Asian Fusion as “one of the most influential Asians of our time,” is an award-winning writer, five-time Pushcart Prize nominee, Amazon bestselling author of 11 books, writing coach, columnist, marketing consultant, and wellness practitioner who currently lives in New York City. She teaches the power of yoga, Ayurveda, & mindful living to female trauma survivors, creative types, entrepreneurs, and business professionals. She is also the CEO-Founder of NimmiLife, which helps you achieve your goals by elevating your creativity & productivity while paying attention to your wellness.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
August 25, 2015
A poetry collection that hits hard. Gut wrenching emotions pour forth. How do I review it? Being an Indian, I have heard, seen, felt enough. So close that the mind shuts down.
Widowhood is a curse even now in many parts of India. She is made to shun all worldly pleasures. She can't attend any auspicious functions. Can't wear colours, can't have certain foods. I have heard it all and more. In my paternal grandma, who was widowed at 18, with a two year old son and carrying another in her womb. And then she lost her second child at 28 years of age. She brought up my dad single-handed, with virtually no support from her so-called family.
When I was old enough, I could even feel her longings, her deep sadness. Yet I also saw the strength.
When my dad passed away 13 years ago, I saw my mom reach out for white sarees, and shun certain foods. My brothers and I did not allow it. How could we?
Sweta Vikram has made the women reach out to us. Somehow it saddened me. Her poetry reaches out. Yet I had mixed feelings. Maybe because it was too close to home.
Widowhood is a curse even now in many parts of India. She is made to shun all worldly pleasures. She can't attend any auspicious functions. Can't wear colours, can't have certain foods. I have heard it all and more. In my paternal grandma, who was widowed at 18, with a two year old son and carrying another in her womb. And then she lost her second child at 28 years of age. She brought up my dad single-handed, with virtually no support from her so-called family.
When I was old enough, I could even feel her longings, her deep sadness. Yet I also saw the strength.
When my dad passed away 13 years ago, I saw my mom reach out for white sarees, and shun certain foods. My brothers and I did not allow it. How could we?
Sweta Vikram has made the women reach out to us. Somehow it saddened me. Her poetry reaches out. Yet I had mixed feelings. Maybe because it was too close to home.
August 23, 2015
Dylan Thomas said, “The world is never the same once a good poem has been added to it.” This month, Poet Sweta Srivastava Vikram hasn’t added one good poem, she has added forty-nine. Wet Silence: Poems About Hindu Widows, Modern History Press, 2015, is a collection of forty-nine poems written from the perspectives of widows living in India. The widows are never named, but they each share a common bond: their husbands have passed away and they are expected to live in mourning for the rest of their lives. The women in Wet Silence are primarily from middle-class, urban families. Some of the women loved their husbands, while others resented them. Some of the widows experienced physical and verbal abuse, infidelity and humiliation. All of the women, regardless of their experiences, are expected to a live a life of celibacy.
Wet Silence is divided into three sections: “I can hear a white cotton sari weaving at the shop,” “I didn’t promise to sleep in your shadow,” and “Silence became my lover, that’s why.” The first section focuses on grieving widows. The women who speak their minds in “I can hear a white cotton sari weaving at the shop,” tell of loneliness and sorrow. They grieve for their lost partners and try desperately to hang onto memories. One woman tells of this sorrow in the poem, “My husband is leaving.”
It’s his touch gentle as velvet,
his angelic tone that I’m seeking.
Bidding farewell to our dream,
my curse: I keep on living
In the second section of Wet Silence, “I didn’t promise to sleep in your shadow,” the reader is introduced to women who are more burdened by the loss of their husbands. The stories in the beginning are similar in tone to the stories in “I can hear a white cotton sari weaving at the shop.” We meet a woman, for instance, who grieves for her husband who died prematurely. She grieves, but she also resents his dying and leaving her, “In a home we never built/where the mosquitos feast on my skin,” (“I water my memory of you”). Section two takes a sharp turn. We are introduced to women who have endured cruelty and abuse. The last woman we hear from in section two says—you can almost hear her rage,
I didn’t turn you into a pig,
as hearts cold as clay like to proclaim.
Pigs are loyal,
develop relationships with their mates,
remain family oriented, I am told.
Pigs like you perform acts
That I won’t mention in this poem.
In “Silence became my lover, that’s why” we are introduced to widows who are less concerned about how society perceives them. In the second to last poem, my personal favorite, titled “Working girl,” the woman admits,
Many shadows enter my room at night.
My soul is tired
but my feet are resting
as I smile at my client list to hold my own.
Each poem in Sweta Srivastava Vikram’s collection introduces the reader to a unique widow, a woman with her own story to tell. Vikram has created a magnificent tapestry woven with the words from women who are usually forced to stay silent. Wet Silence is a collection that will resonate with all readers.
Wet Silence is divided into three sections: “I can hear a white cotton sari weaving at the shop,” “I didn’t promise to sleep in your shadow,” and “Silence became my lover, that’s why.” The first section focuses on grieving widows. The women who speak their minds in “I can hear a white cotton sari weaving at the shop,” tell of loneliness and sorrow. They grieve for their lost partners and try desperately to hang onto memories. One woman tells of this sorrow in the poem, “My husband is leaving.”
It’s his touch gentle as velvet,
his angelic tone that I’m seeking.
Bidding farewell to our dream,
my curse: I keep on living
In the second section of Wet Silence, “I didn’t promise to sleep in your shadow,” the reader is introduced to women who are more burdened by the loss of their husbands. The stories in the beginning are similar in tone to the stories in “I can hear a white cotton sari weaving at the shop.” We meet a woman, for instance, who grieves for her husband who died prematurely. She grieves, but she also resents his dying and leaving her, “In a home we never built/where the mosquitos feast on my skin,” (“I water my memory of you”). Section two takes a sharp turn. We are introduced to women who have endured cruelty and abuse. The last woman we hear from in section two says—you can almost hear her rage,
I didn’t turn you into a pig,
as hearts cold as clay like to proclaim.
Pigs are loyal,
develop relationships with their mates,
remain family oriented, I am told.
Pigs like you perform acts
That I won’t mention in this poem.
In “Silence became my lover, that’s why” we are introduced to widows who are less concerned about how society perceives them. In the second to last poem, my personal favorite, titled “Working girl,” the woman admits,
Many shadows enter my room at night.
My soul is tired
but my feet are resting
as I smile at my client list to hold my own.
Each poem in Sweta Srivastava Vikram’s collection introduces the reader to a unique widow, a woman with her own story to tell. Vikram has created a magnificent tapestry woven with the words from women who are usually forced to stay silent. Wet Silence is a collection that will resonate with all readers.
November 24, 2015
Originally posted on: http://www.peekingbetweenthepages.com...
Powerful. That is the word I would use to describe Wet Silence, the newest poetry collection from Sweta Srivastava Vikram. I devoured this collection in one sitting and went back to reread several pieces and I know I will read them yet again in the future. This collection relates the hardships of Hindu widows in India. We don’t know the women the stories speak of but we know that their stories are shared by many other widows in India. It is a very moving and emotional collection … very raw in the telling and one that will haunt your thoughts for days to come.
In my years of reading I have read many novels that portrayed the lives of women in India and that was, in fact, my interest in this collection. This collection addresses the many restrictions placed on Hindu women after the passing of their husbands. What they wear and eat is controlled. They are unable to love again and remarry. Basically they are expected to mourn their husbands for the rest of their lives whether they had been treated well or not. As a woman it saddens me to think of vibrant women, some in the peak of their lives, having to live a life like this – being dictated to and no longer being able to enjoy the pleasures life has to offer. Wet Silence perfectly captures the grief, sadness, and anger that these women feel and through Sweta’s voice, I too felt their sorrow.
Wet Silence is an amazing collection. It hits you hard – in the gut with it’s raw reality. When I read poetry I look for how it affects me emotionally and Sweta’s is one of the most powerful I’ve read in terms of evoking so many feelings in me. It is exceptional.
Please take the time to enjoy this video of Sweta and a reading of her poetry. I’ve never listened to an author read their own poetry and it really adds a whole other dimension to the words spoken.
And finally I’d love to share a piece of Sweta’s poetry with you…one of my favorites. It was the very first one I read.
My husband is leaving
Widowhood is trapping me unwillingly.
I can hear a white cotton sari weaving at the shop,
demonic voices sharp as the mustard paste in fish curry
speaking in whispers around the hospital corridor,
accusing me of standing and watching
his rotting flesh and dull eyes,
not brooding like soot on windows.
My husband is leaving.
It’s his touch gentle as velvet,
his angelic tone that I’m seeking.
Bidding farewell to our dream,
my curse: I keep on living.
(“My husband is leaving,” a poem, originally appeared in Sweta Srivastava Vikram’s poetry book: Wet Silence(Modern History Press: July 1, 2015. ISBN-13: 978-1615992560))
Highly recommended!
Powerful. That is the word I would use to describe Wet Silence, the newest poetry collection from Sweta Srivastava Vikram. I devoured this collection in one sitting and went back to reread several pieces and I know I will read them yet again in the future. This collection relates the hardships of Hindu widows in India. We don’t know the women the stories speak of but we know that their stories are shared by many other widows in India. It is a very moving and emotional collection … very raw in the telling and one that will haunt your thoughts for days to come.
In my years of reading I have read many novels that portrayed the lives of women in India and that was, in fact, my interest in this collection. This collection addresses the many restrictions placed on Hindu women after the passing of their husbands. What they wear and eat is controlled. They are unable to love again and remarry. Basically they are expected to mourn their husbands for the rest of their lives whether they had been treated well or not. As a woman it saddens me to think of vibrant women, some in the peak of their lives, having to live a life like this – being dictated to and no longer being able to enjoy the pleasures life has to offer. Wet Silence perfectly captures the grief, sadness, and anger that these women feel and through Sweta’s voice, I too felt their sorrow.
Wet Silence is an amazing collection. It hits you hard – in the gut with it’s raw reality. When I read poetry I look for how it affects me emotionally and Sweta’s is one of the most powerful I’ve read in terms of evoking so many feelings in me. It is exceptional.
Please take the time to enjoy this video of Sweta and a reading of her poetry. I’ve never listened to an author read their own poetry and it really adds a whole other dimension to the words spoken.
And finally I’d love to share a piece of Sweta’s poetry with you…one of my favorites. It was the very first one I read.
My husband is leaving
Widowhood is trapping me unwillingly.
I can hear a white cotton sari weaving at the shop,
demonic voices sharp as the mustard paste in fish curry
speaking in whispers around the hospital corridor,
accusing me of standing and watching
his rotting flesh and dull eyes,
not brooding like soot on windows.
My husband is leaving.
It’s his touch gentle as velvet,
his angelic tone that I’m seeking.
Bidding farewell to our dream,
my curse: I keep on living.
(“My husband is leaving,” a poem, originally appeared in Sweta Srivastava Vikram’s poetry book: Wet Silence(Modern History Press: July 1, 2015. ISBN-13: 978-1615992560))
Highly recommended!
January 9, 2016
You can find all of my reviews at: https://www.bookie-obsessed.blogspot.com
I received Wet Silence by Sweta Srivastava Vikram in exchange for an honest review and I was really excited to read it. I haven't read much poetry before and when I got to the final page of this book I was blown away.
Wet Silence is a collection of beautifully crafted poetry based on the true stories and interviews of Hindu widows in India and how society treats them as well as how they feel after the deaths of their husbands. Each poem was seamlessly written and I was left with a new perspective after each one.
Some of the things depicted in this book had me in shock. I had no idea this type of thing happened in the world and I my heart truly goes out to anyone who has been affected by events like these. The poetry was raw and real and stunning and I couldn't have asked for a more fabulous book to review. It really opened my eyes and made me be grateful for all of the good things in my life.
I highly advise everybody to give it a read if they are looking for something full of amazing strength and courage and something that will make you extremely thankful.
I received Wet Silence by Sweta Srivastava Vikram in exchange for an honest review and I was really excited to read it. I haven't read much poetry before and when I got to the final page of this book I was blown away.
Wet Silence is a collection of beautifully crafted poetry based on the true stories and interviews of Hindu widows in India and how society treats them as well as how they feel after the deaths of their husbands. Each poem was seamlessly written and I was left with a new perspective after each one.
Some of the things depicted in this book had me in shock. I had no idea this type of thing happened in the world and I my heart truly goes out to anyone who has been affected by events like these. The poetry was raw and real and stunning and I couldn't have asked for a more fabulous book to review. It really opened my eyes and made me be grateful for all of the good things in my life.
I highly advise everybody to give it a read if they are looking for something full of amazing strength and courage and something that will make you extremely thankful.
March 4, 2016
Stirring and Deep
It is not every day that one comes across poetry that can touch one’s very soul. This book ‘Wet Silence’ by Sweta Srivastava Vikram is piquantly stirring and rips apart the hypocrisy of our so called morals. It throws much light upon a subject that reeks of pain and gloom, and calls for urgent reforms. Her poems on Hindu widows reflect the depth of suffering, be it psychological where a widow is expected to mourn and be as “brooding like soot on windows”, or sexual and societal, when she is considered a “toxic waste”. For no fault of her own, a widow is perceived as an ill-omen and a “crude metaphor”. Even in today’s world where we boast of ultra-modernism, in some places in India, esp ‘Vrindawan’, widows are forced into so pathetic a life that it can shame the Satan himself.
The author captures the breadth and depth of this topic very well. Some poems like “The Question” present a unique way to look at traditional myths. The words, like a high definition camera, capture every emotion perfectly and to say that I loved this book will be an understatement!
It is not every day that one comes across poetry that can touch one’s very soul. This book ‘Wet Silence’ by Sweta Srivastava Vikram is piquantly stirring and rips apart the hypocrisy of our so called morals. It throws much light upon a subject that reeks of pain and gloom, and calls for urgent reforms. Her poems on Hindu widows reflect the depth of suffering, be it psychological where a widow is expected to mourn and be as “brooding like soot on windows”, or sexual and societal, when she is considered a “toxic waste”. For no fault of her own, a widow is perceived as an ill-omen and a “crude metaphor”. Even in today’s world where we boast of ultra-modernism, in some places in India, esp ‘Vrindawan’, widows are forced into so pathetic a life that it can shame the Satan himself.
The author captures the breadth and depth of this topic very well. Some poems like “The Question” present a unique way to look at traditional myths. The words, like a high definition camera, capture every emotion perfectly and to say that I loved this book will be an understatement!
August 23, 2015
Wet Silence by Sweta Srivastava Vikram, which is on tour tomorrow with Poetic Book Tours, is a stunning collection of poems that give voice to the often solitary lives of Hindu widows. Whether these women loved their husbands, fell in love with them, or merely stayed out of their way, without them in their lives, these women struggle with the emptiness — a vacancy where desire, love, and affection should be. These women could wail and weep but it does not negate the fact that they become spectators in their own lives once their husbands are gone. They become apparitions of themselves, hollowed out and shoved to the background like furniture or paintings on the wall, only as useful as the remaining family allows them to be.
Read the full review: http://savvyverseandwit.com/2015/08/w...
Read the full review: http://savvyverseandwit.com/2015/08/w...
September 30, 2015
Good poetry takes the particular and makes it universal and 'Wet Silence' does just that; these poems speak of the lives of Hindu widows, each with her particular grief, but even though for some readers (like me) this is a strange new world, we can still relate, because these poems speak of universal emotions like mourning and love. But it also works the other way around. From the universal emotions we all can relate to, 'Wet Silence' takes us to the particular experiences of Hindu women. The lines of these poems are filled with smells and spices and visceral longing and with that Sweta Srivastava Vikram gives these women back a sensuality that society has denied them. 'Wet Silence' is an enriching collection of poems.
November 13, 2017
I enjoyed this short chapbook of poetry with fresh eyes and openess in my heart. I loved a couple of sections of the poems for the vivid imagery it created in my mind and for the rich lustre of the words Sweta used easily to stir the emotions in a women's bosom. I am going to pick up another one from her collection of poetry soon enough.
September 10, 2015
I love reading poetry. I used to think it was a chore but after a few classes and really learning how to read and appreciate the form, I’ve been on the lookout for interesting collections to read. This one caught my eye and I’m so glad that I joined the blog tour for Wet Silence because it’s unlike anything else I’ve ever read.
The sheer difference from one poem to the next, although the theme of widowhood ties together each piece, is startling. So many women can live through the same experience to the effect of endless different emotions���happiness, terror, sadness, relief. Everything that I, coming from the perspective of a white American, might associate with the loss of a husband and more. These ladies are exceptionally powerful, whether she’s lost the love of her life or gained freedom from a failed arranged marriage.
The length and breadth of the poems change, though the theme remains steadfast throughout. I loved how there was a little index in the back giving details about words and phrases that are common in India that readers might not know. It makes it that much easier for the average person to engage with the poetry, at least at some level.
Because of this, as well as the accessibility of the messages ingrained in the writing, I really hope people pick up this collection. It could be a great starting point, either to delve deeper into the world of poetry or to learn more about Indian culture.
The sheer difference from one poem to the next, although the theme of widowhood ties together each piece, is startling. So many women can live through the same experience to the effect of endless different emotions���happiness, terror, sadness, relief. Everything that I, coming from the perspective of a white American, might associate with the loss of a husband and more. These ladies are exceptionally powerful, whether she’s lost the love of her life or gained freedom from a failed arranged marriage.
The length and breadth of the poems change, though the theme remains steadfast throughout. I loved how there was a little index in the back giving details about words and phrases that are common in India that readers might not know. It makes it that much easier for the average person to engage with the poetry, at least at some level.
Because of this, as well as the accessibility of the messages ingrained in the writing, I really hope people pick up this collection. It could be a great starting point, either to delve deeper into the world of poetry or to learn more about Indian culture.
November 16, 2015
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
I don't normally read poetry and as a newlywed I think it was rather cruel to myself to read this book however I felt it was important to do so. I started reading this just within a few days of getting married and needless to say I was in tears by the end of the first poem. Additionally it was just completely fascinating reading the poems and imagining all of the things these women had to deal with. Husbands who didn't love them but used them for sex or those who cheated on them for years. Or having loving devoted husband but not being able to mourn for him and having to carry on taking care of others. It was definitely interesting seeing things from a different culture perspective. Many of the poems also left me feeling disgusted by the inherit cruelty of humankind. Obviously some things don't matter the culture. It was awful reading about how some of the women were treated but thankfully not all of the poems were sad or spoke of abusive. Plenty spoke of the triumph of love even after death. Many of these poems made me fearful as well because I know someday too my husband shall pass and it will be me alone. There were a few poems I didn't quite understand but in general the imagery is good and the point obvious. This was easy to read and only takes a few hours to do so. Also I will mention there is a glossary at the end of the book which is helpful for some of the unknown words.
I don't normally read poetry and as a newlywed I think it was rather cruel to myself to read this book however I felt it was important to do so. I started reading this just within a few days of getting married and needless to say I was in tears by the end of the first poem. Additionally it was just completely fascinating reading the poems and imagining all of the things these women had to deal with. Husbands who didn't love them but used them for sex or those who cheated on them for years. Or having loving devoted husband but not being able to mourn for him and having to carry on taking care of others. It was definitely interesting seeing things from a different culture perspective. Many of the poems also left me feeling disgusted by the inherit cruelty of humankind. Obviously some things don't matter the culture. It was awful reading about how some of the women were treated but thankfully not all of the poems were sad or spoke of abusive. Plenty spoke of the triumph of love even after death. Many of these poems made me fearful as well because I know someday too my husband shall pass and it will be me alone. There were a few poems I didn't quite understand but in general the imagery is good and the point obvious. This was easy to read and only takes a few hours to do so. Also I will mention there is a glossary at the end of the book which is helpful for some of the unknown words.
September 10, 2015
These poems are so true to life that they draw the reader into sharing love and loss with equal empathy. Sweta Vikram has stretched the boundaries of poetry to the point where they disappear and what we have is direct, visceral experience of the lives of others. In the title poem, Wet Silence, a widow talks to her husband:
You took big bites of my bones
sucked my marrow--
I noticed cobwebs in the ceiling,
waiting for you to pull out
another stream of unpunctuated slangs.
You left me feeling like a
freshly dug grave
as wet silence became my friend.
And just as the widow reaches the depths of despair, strength emerges, and we know she will never be victimized again:
I will not say, “Drown me”
because your ashes are still floating in
the Ganges
I will not allow
my marital promises to break me.
Highly recommended. Those who value honesty and grit and appreciate a poet’s skill, will want to read this book, which allows us to hear voices that for centuries have been ignored.
You took big bites of my bones
sucked my marrow--
I noticed cobwebs in the ceiling,
waiting for you to pull out
another stream of unpunctuated slangs.
You left me feeling like a
freshly dug grave
as wet silence became my friend.
And just as the widow reaches the depths of despair, strength emerges, and we know she will never be victimized again:
I will not say, “Drown me”
because your ashes are still floating in
the Ganges
I will not allow
my marital promises to break me.
Highly recommended. Those who value honesty and grit and appreciate a poet’s skill, will want to read this book, which allows us to hear voices that for centuries have been ignored.
November 18, 2015
Wet Silence: Poems about Hindu Widows by Sweta Srivastava Vikram is a heart touching and inspiring collection of poems written by Hindu widows from India. In the Hindu culture, when a woman loses her husband, she cannot remarry, she has to wear white saris, and she also can't eat certain foods anymore. This is a collection of poems depicting some of the most intimate emotions a woman can muster. Some of the widows miss their husbands dearly, while others are happy to be free of their abuser. The emotions are profound, heart wrenching, yet beautiful. These women are not telling their story to ask for help, though, they simply and only break their Silence and allow their most inner voices to be heard. Beautiful, painful, and raw!
September 17, 2015
An insightful look at the culture of widowhood in India covering a wide array of experiences. I wanted different things from the language.
January 26, 2016
Such a lovely book... painful and beautiful at the same time.
September 30, 2015
I am not able to give a proper review of this amazing book right now. It is powerful and I am trying to understand the central theme, silence, for now.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews