The Must-Read Book Club
Kathleen Kraft: I'm a poet as well a yoga teacher so yogic poems intrigue me... but I think I first heard of Mira from an old boyfriend who wrote a play about her life, a good one at that. I'm moved by her fierceness, her conviction and the rich world she creates for herself.
YCNYC: Favorite quote?
KK: "There are so many quotable lines, but it seems unjust not to share a poem by her. I picked this one because I like its everyday simplicity, playfulness, and sweetness.
The Gooseberry Patch
Well, friend, I will praise the dear Lord with my
singing.
I go out each morning looking for spices, and for a
glimpse of him.
I'll dance well in Hari's temple, you'll hear my
ankle bells.
I'll make the castanets give out his name, and I'll cross
the ocean of this world.
What is this world? A patch of gooseberry bushes. It
catches us on the way to the one we love.
The Great Snake Giridhar is Mira's Lord; I'll sing
about him; then I will be home.
YCNYC: What one person would you recommend this book to?
KK: Anyone who practices bhakti or loves poetry.
YCNYC: What moment or part resonates with you the most?
KK: There isn't one. So many vivid images, though there is a funny moment at the end of the poem, "Why Mira Can't Come Back to Her Old House," that stands out:
I have felt the swaying of the elephant's shoulders;
and now you want me to climb on a jackass?
Try to be serious.
You can purchase Mirabai - Ecstatic Poems here.
Have a Must-Read book to recommend? Email us here.
