‘Riding With the Silver Wolf’: Bindiya Bedi Charan Noronha’s poems renew belief in love and stories

What can we gift our future generations?

We can gift them love, the ability to trust, the belief to love, and the courage to take on challenges.

That’s exactly what Riding With the Silver Wolf, a collection by Bindiya Bedi Charan Noronha, does.

Each poem tells a story of hope, and should Noronha choose to write fiction, I suspect she’d do a great job at it. The collection starts with a sweet memory of her mother singing Sukhmani, a prayer. In “My Mother’s Song”, she writes,

“Ignorant of its wisdom,
I hummed along.”

Songs of hope

We often do not realise when a moment becomes a precious memory. We are oblivious to their value, and do not seem to recall them till a difficult time falls upon us. The wisdom, often embedded in these memories, emerges thus

“Casting aside the murmurs of doubt,
I sing the Sukhmani and soar –
A flying crane,
Rising above the flames.” 

The intent of being hopeful, which I cannot say is on purpose or unconscious, is appreciable. I felt the tumult and rage in my heart wash away as I read more. They were replaced by the desire to nurture dreams.

She uses the metaphor of Noah’s Ark innovatively and winds up “My Mother’s Song” by saying,

“I found my tranquil island
By shedding the shadows that 
I choose now to live, light and just be.”

The poem “The Poet and the Sea” deserves special mention. The sea becomes Noronha’s teacher – it teaches her to accept life, despite the storms and the choppy waters. Nature shows her something invaluable – to be courageous even in difficult times. The sea, birds, and the world outside are her allies. Noronha gradually gets more introspective. She talks about the union of the heart and the mind with the divine cosmos. This imagery is particularly vivid in poems like “Water Speaks,” “Now,” and “Birds are Singing on My Windowsill.”

But her poems aren’t merely about the metaphysical. In “Beyond Denial”, she addresses challenges like corruption, global warming, homelessness, and human trafficking. She suggests that we must not slumber in apathy and that we must act before time runs out.

My favourite poem in the collection is “Ephemeral Love,” which I thought was deeply spiritual.

“In the flow of time
Dark clouds will lift,
The Buddha will smile. 
She inspires us to become the smiling Buddha in the fleeting present moment. 
Another poem that evokes hope is ‘Moonrise’ with words like,
I follow the moonrise
In a stupor of delight to
Where ever the light may lead
Opening immense possibilities.
Tiny Buddha is about dispelling fear
Call 
And I will rise
A fleeting presence 
Faint against the tide of fear.”

Love and resilience

In the poem “Downpour”, Noronha uses the lone wild rose as an example of inner strength which bears the fury of a storm and yet stands resilient.

“By noon, the storm abated.
Standing firm, my resolute rose shines –
Gentle, fragile, resilient.
Storms will not beat me down.
I too will survive to rise in peace.”

This inner strength is manifested in other poems such as “Stampede,” “Last Rites,” and “Opening the Portal.”

A few poems later, the reader travels to Varanasi, the ancient city where abandoned widows live out their days. A touching poem that reflects upon their life as they wait to find Nirvana, searching for solace not in life but in death.

Noronha also offers a tribute to motherhood where a mother stands strong and resolute with her child, never once wavering in her love. This is perhaps the only kind of love that is unconditional. She wonders about another kind of love in “Ode to Love”, where a heartbroken lover wishes to move on from the past and start afresh. The poem reflects on the conflict between heeding reason and surrendering to our instincts.

“My spirits were darkened clouds
That needed to shed potbellied sorrow
But my heart wanted to sing and 
Dance in his sunshine presence. 
I just let the crazy instinct flow.”

Riding With the Silver Wolf starts on a note of hope, moves on to the afflictions of humanity, before concluding with a renewed belief in love, introspection, and meditation.

Rashmi Malapur Jaswal is a writer, content strategist, and founder of Research Eye (content specialists). She is the author of Silence-Mauna, a poetry book exploring inner calm and reflection.

Riding With the Silver Wolf, Bindiya Bedi Charan Noronha, Red River Press.