Kathmandu, March 21 -- Asmita Bista

Poet/Assistant Professor, Mahendra Multiple Campus

To me, poetry is a voice that arises from the vocabulary of my imagination and life experiences. When I am moved by the pain of any creature and my heart trembles like an earthquake, when it dances in joy, when I plunge into the gulf of distress and anguish-all these converge into words and breath as a poem.

A poem is a breath that I exhale, extending my existence. It is the element that sends waves through my veins, assuring me that I am alive-that I exist and that I am vibrant. A poem is also a lever that lifts the poet from the depths of problems and showers her with the light of hope and joy. It sometimes surprises her with a voice that she hears...