Share your poetry, join Dombivli poetic gang

A café near Dombivli station was bustling with activity last Friday.

The crowd, mostly students,were eager to share their thoughts on girl child, transgenders and the changing society.

This was the fourth time the group was meeting and it is slowly gaining popularity.

Poetic Friday, as the event is known, is a gathering of likeminded talented people who express themselves through poetry. It is held every third Friday of the month.

“Poetry is an expression of your soul. The initiative helps us recite, discuss and share the love of poetry with other enthusiasts in the city,” said Vinay Naik, 19, who started the initiative with his friend Pushkar Kalkar.

Both are students of Nandurkar College, Dombivli. Naik and Kalkar started the event so that it would help people take a break from the monotonous A group of youngsters attend a session of Poetic Friday at a cafe in Dombivli. A young girl reads out a poem during the meet.

schedule.

“The two-hour session sees a lot of participation from students,” said Naik. “The idea is to explore your creative side, make friends and spend some time connecting with people instead of smartphones.”

The topic is decided at the session, said Kalkar. “It can be anything ranging from traffic issues

to civic problems. It should be something that interests us or bothers us,” he said.

The two had never imagines that idea would be a big hit. “We started with seven members and we have 40 now. It’s not the number count which drives me, but it is the enthusiasm and energy of the participants which brings us under one roof,”

said Naik.

The group said that they are apolitical and discuss only social issues through their poems.

“We are all equal here and there are no language barriers. We do not discuss politics. It is a platform for us to share ideas, encourage others and make us all more open-minded,” said Naik.

Harshal Sawkare, 19, a guitarist and music lover from Dombivli feels that this is the perfect setting for people to express their views.

“We are all working professionals and students who hardly get any time on hobbies. This is the time we get to put on our thinking caps and introspect on the world around us,” said Sawkare.

Poetic Friday is open for all and entry is free.

Chinmayi Bhirud, 18, a Dombivli resident, has attended three sessions and is enjoying herself.

“We get to know different views on issues. This widens our thinking,” said Bhirud.

Shalaka Lalit, 25, a resident of Dombivli, has got a platform to share her views.

“I love writing and discussing poems. I write poetry in advance, mostly on trending issues and other civic issues in the city,” said Lalit.

Those who want to participate in the session, can get in touch with Vinay Naik at 07506377654.