Born of Mauritian origin, I have graduated from the University of Mauritius in 2008. I further climbed the ladder of my educational journey through the Commonwealth Scholarship awarded to me by the ICCR to enroll for my M.A degree in the Department of Studies in English at the University of Mysore, Karnataka, India. I have published my poem “Roots” in the Harvests of the New Millenium and several articles in other journals. I have also been paper presenter at departmental, national and international levels. Presently, I am pursuing my Ph.D in English under the Junior Research Fellowship for foreign national awarded by the UGC, New Delhi at the University of Mysore.
I dedicate my each and every writing enterprise to my parents who remain the backbone of my life, without whom I would have never reached where I stand today in the world. Parents’ love is the most Divine love that we are blessed with and they are the doctors who stitch our wounds with their Divine hands!
My collection of poetry was in the initial stage a very personal business until I discovered that I may be writing for all those who have been suffering and need to be heard. The silence shrieks in my poems! Though I indebted to many who in one way or the other have gifted me with situations to write, I owe my poetic well to JKS whose presence has been nurturing my inspiration unconsciously. But, the outburst of my poetic flair saw the day when I first landed in India in 2011. Like any creative person, I was very much influenced by the current happenings which brought about a sea change in my life on manifold levels. I write about fragmented humans’ suffering especially in relationship. Love, one of the most crucial feelings that each and every one of us runs after remains a craving, an unending longing of the soul lives within and without taints. Love in all its faces and at the all corners of our petty human life. Pestered by my own existentialist essence, my poetic vibes are also diverted towards the human existence, Death and Life. The fragmented self of a disillusioned, betrayed and hurt person can bring out the best in him or her. My poetry is the voice of your stifled silence which shrieks in the darkness of the night yet unheard. I celebrate Death, Love and all those who cannot express their feelings with words except through tears. The celebration of human failed relationship is a means for me to understand the ways of the world. Fragmentation lies at each verse of my poems as I leave the space open for any audience and reader to fill in the gap according to their own conditions: emotional, psychological, family, social among others. I also allow my readership and audience to identify themselves in my poems thus offering a voice to all those who suppress their shattered dreams, feelings and existence.
Poetry is my asylum offering a therapeutic essence to me and you!
Professional Reviews
From J.K. Roseline
This collection of poetry by Shyama Ramasamy is effectually dark. Hence the black cover, she explains . It takes courage and grit to put into words the most intimate and difficult aspect of a person’s life , of deceit and heart break in human lives. This collection could also be therapeutic for those suffering the pangs of loss and self-esteem not knowing what has hit them. Here shyama’s poetry comes as a true force of expression to reckon with, to be understood and unmasked little by little, to deal with the sensitive process of recuperating for one and for those who can imagine the sensitivity of it all as she says in her first poem - He simply reduced /reduced me to a paltry nothingness…/ a box of emptiness/ a living coffin…./ I became.
The theme of innocence and betrayal is so powerfully and poignantly dealt by this young poetess in this volume. Her very first opening poem titled BUTHCHER which is in capital words and the first lines are “ Drowned are the hopes , gobbled by the devilish hungry sharks” Shyama continues to pour out the tormented soul in the same mood through -out the book, except when singing glorious invocation to her mother. Here the change in mood is noticed , one of praise and thanks giving.
In between her poems The bird and ROSE showcases the power of her imagination when she says the rose flower is multifaceted. The flow and imagery is a great treat; especially, the poem named WOMB comes forth as a magical piece of expression in her creative endeavor.
With precision and brevity, giving importance to the minute details, through the various moods the poet slowly deals with each of the painful stations with strong imagery to support the flow of thoughts. It is resounding enough, each time she delves on the subject of betrayal , pain and ruthlessness ; it sure shows the feelings of an innocent girl’s loss of faith in love and relationships, and, how a scattered mind and sorrowing heart took refuge in expressions to deal with the loss is so aptly penned by Shyama Ramsamy.
The change comes all of a sudden and unexpected of the writer’s mood , when through -out one is made to feel that the character will never resolve into a positive frame, there comes this last poem with a ray of hope which surely tells us yes , there is hope in her thoughts and new beginnings to look forward to …. When she writes in capital letters … “DESPITE being a conditioned LOVE, . Another name for happiness for me is YOU.” Here the poet is showing the transformation of the character in the book into a stronger, balanced and mature individual.
In the last poem in her collection, she begins with “ A broken jar I was “, talking in the past tense, The reader will be happy for her when they can feel her heart resonating with happiness once again.
