Author: Vinay Verma
Pages: 44
Year of Publication: 2011
Price: HB Rs 100 / $20 (USD)
ISBN:
978-93-5045-014-7 (9789350450147)
 
About the Author:
Vinay Verma grew up in Calcutta where he completed his graduation in English Honours from St. Xavier’s College. His first collection of poetry, Poppies and Ashes, was brought out by Poetry Guild, Calcutta in 1967. He has three other books to his credit – Applejack Bluebean and River Mountain (Poetry Guild, Calcutta, 1969), Mother of Fire (Writers Workshop, India, 1981) and By God’s Decree (Harper and Row, Sydney, 1986). Verma moved to Australia in 1970 and lived in Sydney for the rest of his life. Sadly, he passed away in 2011, before this book was released.
Teaser:
God Owes Me Royalties
Do my words need makeup
antiage cream for my lines
Remixing and deejaying
multiple images of a singular deity
Reincarnated of carnality
cindered in obdurate morality
Pulsing throbbing the ghosts
rearranging
Skeletons like lego
pomegranate lovebuds juicing stains
Not guilt but smudged badges of honour
my soul copyrighted for firstuse and
the royalties will pay the debt I
accrued on your behalf.
Contents:
Foreword by Gideon Haigh / 9
New Migrant / 11
End of the Beginning: The Trickledown Effect / 12
Burying the Seasons / 13
Not My Brother’s Keeper / 14
Not My Footprints / 15
Politics on a Carromboard / 16
The Ant’s Prayer / 17
Unfaithful Servant / 18
No More Promises / 19
Fractured Light / 20
A Sacred Thread / 21
How Deep Is the Sky / 22
How Long Is a Piece of String / 23
In Joy, In Anger / 24
Mother of Fire / 25
My Grandmothers’ Red Clay Pot / 26
The Last Poplar / 27
Where Is the Milkmaid / 28
Broken Hill / 29
A ’48 Oldsmobile / 30
Unteachings / 31
Living Death / 32
Neverborn and Twice Dead / 33
Conversations with Pinstripes / 34
Negative Transparencies / 36
Doing God’s Work / 37
The Contortionist / 38
Wind Cuts No More / 39
Watermark / 40
God Owes Me Royalties / 41