Five Poems – Priya Sarukkai Chabria

Presented by Red River and Indian Novels Collective A bundle of four titles Hummingbirds are distinguished by their dazzling colours, diminutive size, and speedy flight, the only birds that can fly backwards, upside down, sideways, and hover in mid-air. Sighting a hummingbird also signals that challenging times are over and healing can begin. These little birds are also a sign of hope and spiritual significance. They are also critically endangered species, facing the prospect of extinction due to climate change. Since publishing poetry is considered perhaps the most adventurous or perilous creative journey, curating a poetry series in the name of hummingbirds literally and metaphorically affirms our faith in the commitment and belief in the power of small to achieve the impossible. Inspired by Wangari Maathai, the Kenyan activist and the first women Nobel Peace Prize winner from Africa, who pioneered Green Belt Movement, and a great believer in the power of hummingbirds, we believe that our Hummingbirds Chapbook Series, a joint initiative of Red River and Indian Novels Collective, will energise poets and poetry lovers to come together and help create a republic of imagination. Therefore, as editors of this series, we invite you to publish original works of poetry, though not to the exclusion of previously published works of luminous quality, from a wide horizon of genres, styles and linguistic practices including translation from regional languages of India. In short, we hope the Hummingbirds Series will be memorable for their earthy beauty and urgency to fly into possible and impossible futures! Sincerely yours Ashwani Kumar, Co-founder of Indian Novels Collective Dibyajyoti Sarma, Publisher, Red River The cover pages of the series are adorned with the artworks of celebrated artist Sudhir Patwardhan. Hummingbirds Chapbook Series I If Stones Could Speak by Bina Sarkar ISBN: 978-93-48111-18-0 Page: 32 Price: 199 Five Poems by Priya Sarukkai Chabria ISBN: 978-93-48111-61-6 Page: 32 Price: 199 Dialogues with Ganga by Sukrita ISBN: 978-93-48111-79-1 Page: 32 Price: 199 Map of Memories by Ashwani Kumar ISBN: 978-93-48111-04-3 Page: 32 Price: 199