Roman Tewolde-Birhan: A talented poet who hasn't yet enjoyed the limelight

by LEULSEGED WORKU
Roman is born to a family that turned perusing books and writing papers and literary pieces a deep seated culture. Her father Dr. Tewolde-Birhan Gebre-Egziabeher is a globally acclaimed environmentalist. Her late uncle Sebehat Gebre-Egziabeher is also a living legend in Ethiopian literature. She has a lawyer uncle who was once an instructor at Addis Ababa University. But in wielding influence or pushing her to literary life, beyond her father and her late uncle, Roman's mother, Sue Edward, a lecturer, was instrumental.

As she showcased in her debut collection of poems 'Reflection', on which The Ethiopian Herald had done a book review last year, Roman Tewelde is an insightful poet gifted in the craft. Though, she humble by her very nature, had never thought herself a poet, her poems bear testimony to her talent. Roman does not exactly tell when and how she started to try her hand on writing poems. But, she is sure about one thing. It was during the time her injured feelings sought an outlet she began to pen them down in a form of a verse.

For Roman, poems are everything. Reading poems of curing effect and writing poems of a similar nature as well as delving into the mysteries of life afford a way out from this material world. Writing a poem is a vehicle via which one freely express his/her thought. Roman is of the opinion that “Poems are the reflections of one's feelings. Poems are not simple empty words. They have a magical power of purifying or cleaning one's soul from grief!”

For Roman, the composition of words with shallow meanings does not make a good poem. “Poem is something meaningful and it must convey a deeper or life transforming message to readers. It must have inner meaning than an ordinary sentence or surface meaning. It must strike a cord in the reader's heart.”

More often, nature, love, peace and life as a whole pervades Roman's poems. Whenever mesmerized by a scenery, greenery, birds or animals, she does not waste a fraction of a second in converting her observations and reflections into a poem.

When asked as to what words mean to a poet, Roman said that words might be invisible to a common person. But for a poet they are more than a collection of letters. Words in the hands of poets or wordsmiths are everything. Though they seem lifeless, words have a spirit to a poet. They have a magical power to express one's feeling with a limited number of space.

During my stay with Roman I had also asked her how and when “Reflections” was conceived. According to her, “ Reflections” is a collection of her selected poems and photographs that brings life to the limelight. It mirrors love, hate, grief, nature etc...

In my moment of togetherness with Roman, I did ask her if there is any relationship between love and a poem. For Roman, poetry and love are two sides of a single coin. Both of them have a life giving power.

“When you love someone you will clearly see things from the positive side. When you love, you will see something new from what is old. We all have this fortune to enjoy with love. If there is anything we could freely enjoy with, it is love. There are several things that could rock down our happiness into grief. But, love has all the power to bring back our happiness. For this reason there is special relationship between love and poem. When one loves, his/her soul will be inspired to write something about that man. I think that is why Plato once said 'At the touch of love everyone becomes a poet.' ”

Responding to my question why she did not engage in Amharic literature, particularly in writing Amharic poems, Roman said that she has a great respect for Amharic language. Using Amharic is not that simple as it seems, specially for literature as it is replete with multiple meanings. It is not a kind of language that anyone can dare experiment. It needs deeper understanding and knowledge. “But that does not mean I will keep myself aloof from it. I will try all my best. I am devoting my time to hone my literary skill in Amharic literature.”

Dear readers let me salute out with one of the untitled poems of Roman and another.

Let alone one eye

I'd lose both . . .

Just for you

No no,

Not just that

I'd lose my sight

My sight, i'd lose

My mind and wit

All my senses

And still know

. . . after death

I love you

Time Enough

Trillion, million, beyond numeration

Are the things.. . To you

I wish to mention

But you already know

Even

the tiny ones, i'd simply forego

Just from my eyes, my glance and tone_

You tell me, what i'd tell you

We always have_

. . the same premonition

Which then makes way,_

For us to do, what we love to

. . in love, make love

Just chat and read, read poetry

Be still, be silent, giggle and laugh

Kiss and cuddle, under love's tree

. . in love, make love

Though when together

There isn't time . ..time enough

For whatever, whether ever

. . . and forever

Whatever!