Echoes of enchantment

‘Waves of Enchantment in Goa’ an anthology of poems by Bernedita Rodrigues Pinto is set to be released on June 15. NT KURIOCITY speaks to the poet to learn more

ANNA FERNANDES | NT KURIOCITY

What makes Bernedita Rodrigues Pinto tick is her love for poetry and the sunshine state of Goa. Her latest book ‘Waves of Enchantment in Goa’ is a labour of this love. Fascinated with the art form since childhood, Pinto reveals that her poetry “originates from the core of [her] heart and mind”. “My late maternal grandfather, Emidio Souza was my tutor and he would always insist on reading poems in addition to my daily lessons and homework. My mother too always encouraged my poetry writing” she says.

And again it was this love for the written word that led her to pursue a career as a teacher working in schools in the Middle East for many years. In fact her stint at the Rahima Academy in Saudi Arabia earned her a certificate of appreciation for her services as a teacher during the Gulf War of 1990 – Operation Desert Shield – Desert Storm. “The award recognised my contribution during the Gulf War as I continued my services to the expatriate community fearlessly though bombs were being dropped by the Iraqi Army onto civilian settlements in Saudi close by to my school provinces,” she reveals.

Bernedita also taught at the Model School in UAE (United Arab Emirates) and was appointed as a teacher for the Kids’ Club in Finland, Europe where she was tasked to teach ESL (English as a Second Language) to Finnish students. “I have also had the privilege to teach Syrian and Lebanese students when I was appointed as a teacher at the Oxford School, Abu Dhabi,” she adds.

But despite her myriad experiences and travels far and wide, for Bernedita, home has always been where the heart is. Her book ‘The Waves of Enchantment in Goa’ contains 65 poems most of which tell of the “beauty of our Goa and the simplicity and friendliness of our Goan people”. “Enchantment is felt in all the waves that rise in Goa whether it is the picturesque seashores or our heritage and culture which attracts people,” she says, adding that the title of the book aptly embodies its contents.

Produced at a time when the novel coronavirus pandemic is devastating the world, ‘The Waves of Enchantment in Goa’ will resonate with Goan readers and offer some semblance of comfort, says Bernedita. “These poems were penned by me prior to the outbreak of COVID-19. I decided to compile them and self publish them in the form of a paperback to reach out to more people. And with people confined to their homes owing to the lockdown and anxiety of contracting the deadly virus, this book can provide engrossing reading material to them that is prospective and reminiscent of the good times prevalent in Goa prior to the pandemic, she adds.

Bernedita previously published another anthology of poems titled, ‘Come to Our Goa’ which is available to readers at the Krishnadas Shama, Goa State Central Library in Patto, Panaji and the Dr Francis Louis Gomes District Library, Navelim. In addition she has also published several poems on current issues plaguing society around the world such as the coronavirus pandemic and the death of George Floyd, uploaded onto the online poetry site

poemhunter.com.

“My poems are all my own words and thoughts put together to inspire readers to feel the vibrancy of life and situations,” she says, while urging youngsters to pen their emotions down. “It is very necessary to keep reading poems while students are in school and college as it inspires the dormant tendency in every person to express their inner feelings and thoughts which can transpire into a talent called poetry writing,” she says, adding that during her college days she had the privilege to recite her poems before Goan literary icons like RV Pandit and Manohar Rai Sardessai and was also awarded the first prize by them for English poetry.

The book ‘The Waves of Enchantment in Goa’ is dedicated to Bernedita’s late brother Alan Rodrigues. “I am grateful to him as if it was not for the appreciation he expressed for my poems, I would have not continued writing poetry. I was always busy travelling to different countries in the world but when I would return home he would ask me about my poems thus compelling me to keep up my dedication to poetry.” The book will thus be launched on the occasion of his birth anniversary, June 15.