Success, Diversity and Culture - Poetry Competition

Network Bangla held its successful poetry competition, the winner of which was announced at our Launch Event.

A special thank you to everyone who entered the competition. We had a lot of fantastic entries and it was quite tough to decide who the winner should be. There are so many talented Bengali poets out there! Keep it going!

Here is the poem that won the competition:

CULTURE by Ruhul Abdin

HOW DOES ONE BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND CULTURE?
THROUGH THE ARTS, MEMORABILIA OR LITERATURE?
WHAT IF ONE CANNOT READ, SEE OR LISTEN?
HOW DOES ONE BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND CULTURE?

THROUGH WORDS THAT ARE NOT SAID,
MOMENTS THAT ARE SELDOM SEEN,
AND WORDS THAT ARE NOT WRITTEN

CULTURE CONTAINS THE SEEDS,
AND EMBODIES OUR IDENTITY,
THE CULTURE OF OUR SOUL IS NOT TRAPPED
IN POVERTY OR WEALTH, ITS IDEAS LIE
IN THE UNIVERSAL TRUTHS

OUR NATION IS LOSING ITS IDENTITY,
ITS YOUTHS A NATION OF LOST SOULS,
BICKERING AMONGST OURSELVES

FREE YOURSELF FROM THE CULTURE OF A CRYING NATION,
EMBRACE THE CULTURE OF YOUR SOUL.
WE CHILDREN SHOULD NOT HOLD THE BURDEN
OF OUR FATHERS,
JUSTLY SO, IF WE CAN HELP OUR NATION GROW
WE SHOULD DO SO.

THE INFINITE TIME OF THE UNIVERSE
DOES NOT APPLY TO OUR MATERIAL SELF,
WE HAVE A BUT A FEW YEARS
TO REPLANT THE SEEDS,
OUR CHILDREN'S CHILDREN CAN WATCH THEM GROW

Words are an amazing tool, a way of expressing yourself and your thoughts, a way to let your imagination loose, a way to connect to the people around you. The use of words in a particular form, to be appreciated, is poetry.

Network Bangla believes everyone has the right to express themselves, and was pleased to announce it’s first ever Poetry Competition. This was a chance for you to use your words, and express yourself to the rest of the world, with a chance to win a gold-plated space bullet pen, poetry books and a certificate. The poets had to submit entry surrounding a theme of either success, diversity or culture, themes that reflect Network Bangla.

The poems were short listed by Network Bangla’s Director Sulthana Begum and published poet Arman Ali.

The winner was then announced on stage at our Launch Event on Saturday 4th August 2007. Ruhul Abdin kindly read his winning entry out to the audience.

Now to leave you with the thought-provoking words of our judge:

My Words

These words are my shield.
Protecting me from life’s insanities
Which bounce off like hailstones.

These words are my mask.
Which conceal the true face
Of my emotional identity.

These words are my mirror.
In which takes form
The shape of my thoughts.

These words are my obsession.
In them you will find reflected
My crazed outlook.

These words are my love.
Through them you will achieve
Momentary bliss.

By Arman Ali