Listening to the Moon: On Writing Poetry

By Srijani Mitra | Guest Blog

Poet Srijani Mitra talks about getting her poetry published, the inspiration behind her work, and her top tips for young writers embarking on their own creative writing journeys.

For a long time, I wondered why poets are so often drawn to the moon. The image appears everywhere in poetry be it quiet moons, restless moons, moons that witness human longing from afar. At first, it seemed like a romantic habit poets had inherited from one another. But when I began writing the poems that would eventually become Mantras for the Moon, I started to understand that fascination in a very personal way. The moon moves through phases like appearing, fading, returning again with quiet persistence. Writing poetry began to feel similar. There were nights of clarity and inspiration, and there were long stretches of confusion, abandoned drafts, and uncertain beginnings. Yet slowly, like the moon emerging from shadow, the poems began to find their shape.

Writing a poetry book can feel daunting. There are many failed drafts, plenty of confusion, and moments when you wonder whether the work will ever come together. But there is also excitement in the process. Each poem feels like a discovery, and gradually those discoveries begin to form a larger journey.

My own journey with poetry began when I was a child. I first wrote in my mother tongue, without thinking about publication or audience. Poetry at that stage felt instinctive, simply a way to express emotions and thoughts that were difficult to explain otherwise. I wrote quietly, mostly for myself.

For many years, however, I did not have the courage to send my poems to publishers or magazines. Sharing poetry can feel incredibly vulnerable. A poem often carries fragments of the writer’s inner life, and the idea of placing those fragments in front of strangers can be intimidating.

It was during the lockdown that this changed. The stillness of that period forced many of us to slow down and reflect on our lives. For me, it became a time to reconsider my relationship with writing. I realised that if poetry mattered so much to me, I should not be afraid to let it exist beyond the pages of my notebooks.

Around the same time, I had begun writing more poetry in English. I was deeply inspired by poets such as Arundhati Subramaniam, whose work blends spirituality, introspection, and contemporary life in striking ways. Reading poets like her encouraged me to think about poetry not just as personal expression but also as a dialogue with readers.

Eventually, I gathered the courage to start submitting my poems to literary magazines. The first acceptance was exhilarating. There is something magical about seeing your work appear in a publication and realising that your words have travelled beyond your own imagination to reach someone else.

Of course, the publishing journey was not always smooth. Like most writers, I also encountered rejection. Some poems that I had worked on intensely were declined. Rejection can feel discouraging, especially when you have poured genuine emotion into your writing. But over time I began to understand that rejection is simply part of the literary landscape. A poem might not be the right fit for one magazine but could resonate perfectly with another. Instead of giving up, I continued writing, revising, and submitting.

That persistence eventually led to a publishing opportunity with Red Rook Press, an imprint of University of Alabama Press. Before submitting my manuscript, I spent considerable time researching poetry publishers and understanding the kind of work they published. The aesthetic vision of Red Rook Press felt aligned with my own writing, so I decided to send my manuscript there.

Then came the waiting period. Waiting can be one of the hardest aspects of publishing. Months pass, and you continue writing while quietly wondering whether your manuscript will find a home. Nearly a year after submitting, I received the news that my manuscript had been accepted. My book had been selected from around twenty-five poetry manuscripts submitted from different parts of the world.

It was a deeply meaningful moment, not only because the book was accepted, but also because it affirmed the importance of patience and persistence in the creative process.

Mantras for the Moon is the culmination of nearly five years of writing. Many of the poems in the collection were first published in literary magazines before coming together in the form of a book. As the manuscript slowly took shape, I realised that the poems were connected by a recurring idea which is the lunar cycle as a metaphor for human emotion.

Just as the moon waxes and wanes, our emotional lives move through phases. Feelings expand, retreat, disappear, and return again in altered forms. Some moments feel radiant and full, while others feel shadowed and uncertain. The poems in the book attempt to explore these shifting emotional landscapes.

Spirituality also plays an important role in my writing. For me, spirituality is not something distant or abstract. It is closely connected to culture and selfhood almost as the way traditions, stories, and beliefs shape our inner lives.

In many ways, my poetry tries to discover the extraordinary within the ordinary. Everyday experiences such as a conversation, a memory, a quiet ritual often contain surprising depth when observed carefully. Poetry allows those moments to expand and reveal their hidden meanings.

I have also written poems that reflect on the act of writing itself. Poetry is not only about emotion but it is also a craft. Learning how to shape language, rhythm, and imagery is something I deeply enjoy. Writing about the process of writing becomes a way of acknowledging the discipline that poetry requires.

For young writers who are beginning their own creative journeys, I would like to share a few thoughts.

First, do not be afraid to send your work to publishers and literary magazines. It can feel intimidating at first, but every submission is a step forward. Even when a piece is rejected, the act of sharing your work is part of learning and growing as a writer.

Second, cultivate patience. Writing, especially poetry, rarely brings immediate results. Poems take time to develop, manuscripts take years to build, and publishing decisions often take months. Patience allows you to continue writing without losing motivation.

Finally, practise your craft consistently. Inspiration is important, but discipline is equally valuable. The more you write, the more your voice will grow stronger and clearer.

When patience and practice come together, something remarkable begins to happen. Your confidence grows, your ideas deepen, and your writing begins to feel more authentic.

In many ways, writing poetry is like listening to the moon. It requires quiet attention, curiosity, and trust in slow cycles of growth. There will be moments of brightness and moments of darkness. But if you continue listening and continue writing, the poems will eventually find their way into the light.