An Interview With Tialila Kikon

Poet and Educator from Nagaland

Tialila's journey of being a creative individual starts from Dimapur. She has several honorary mentions under her belt.

She has authored four books- Paper Cranes, Dandelion Dreams, The Sky Bride and Other Tales Retold, When Lonely Embers Sing. 

Her success inspires creative indivduals to acknowledge that anything and everything is possible for anyone from anywhere. She’s currently serving as the Principal of Pfutsero Government College. We recently interviewed her about her writing and creative journey. 

Most of your poetry is about grappling with loss, navigating violence, and exploring the dimensions of womanhood. Your poetry offers deep insights into the resilience of the human spirit amidst these challenges. What reflections do you have on your approach to these themes as a poet?

I feel this must be nurtured in every possible way, more so through the different mediums of the arts, to give strength, to inspire hope, empathy and kindness, and to make the world a little less lonely.

Keeping this in mind, I weave my poems believing that life can still be a beautiful dream amidst all the pain and disillusionment. My books ‘Dandelion Dreams’ and ‘When Lonely Embers Sing’ are simple expressions of this belief, and I shall be grateful and consider my wish fulfilled if my poems can inspire at least one tired soul to embrace hope one more time with faith.

You also happen to write a lot about nature. Could you elaborate on why it plays such an important role in your writing?

Nature is the greatest poem on earth written by the creator's hand. Nature inspires and heals us because we are a part of nature. The vast expanse of it amazes me all the time. Every time I get closer to nature, I feel good. It gives me an influx of positive energy running into me. I often rely on nature for inspiration because I'm in awe of it, and I firmly believe that my life, in fact, all our lives, utterly depend on nature. I write about nature because we are part of the same earth, alive together, perhaps even die together, if we and our world fail to consider and reconsider measures for the global environmental crisis. 

What inspired you to start writing poetry?

I fail to recollect any specific moment or a first instance that inspired me to start writing poetry because I've been a closet poet for as long as I can recall. I used to scribble here and there, words that came to my mind, and that gave me so much fulfilment. But if I were to answer what inspires my poetry, I'd say anything and everything: life, love, friendship, seasons, universe, nature, human experiences, relationships, stories, photographs, etc. Moreover, poetry does provide you the power to turn the most ordinary into the most extraordinary. Poetry is everywhere. We only need mindful eyes and a warm heart to notice and appreciate the beauty of our world. I believe anything that touches the soul is beautiful, and anything beautiful inspires art in many forms.

Being the Principal at one of Nagaland's government colleges, how are you fine-tuning and striking a balance between your academic and creative life?

When you love what you're doing, everything falls in place naturally. Fortunately, I have a job that pays my bills, and my love for poetry fits perfectly. I taught literature for the past 20 years. My promotion to Principal is just a few months old. Another reason I'm very fortunate about is to be posted at one of the most beautiful towns in Nagaland, also the coldest inhabited place in Nagaland, Pfutsero in Phek District. And this pristine natural setting aligns perfectly well with my love for nature.

Recently, I have started taking my walks seriously and keeping track of my steps. My day begins early, giving me ample time to walk with nature and get enough inspiration before I'm seated at my office by 10 AM. I should say that the universe has been kind to bring me to people and places that give me my daily dose of inspiration. Except for the juggling between home, the hottest town in Nagaland, Dimapur to my workplace, the coldest town in Nagaland – I have to travel back and forth quite often except for that juggle I can say that fine-tuning and striking a balance between my academic and creative life is effortlessly smooth.

Moreover, I love my students, and my wish to do something positive for them keeps me going. And love, as you know, always inspires poetry, right?

Could you give us the background behind your poem 'If Sorrow Had a Face'?

A few weeks ago, a picture of a little girl was circulating on the news and various social media platforms. It was a case of crime against children where a 9-year-old domestic helper got physically tortured and bruised black and blue all over her body. The most painful thing in the world is the plight and suffering of innocent children. The pain inflicted on the young girl and her broken spirit, which reflected on her face, her muted voice, lost and sorrowful face, haunted me and kept me awake for a long time. It was heart-wrenching. This poem is my plea for a more kinder world for children, a little voice against child abuse, child labour and domestic violence. 

Can overthinking about things also be a catalyst for writing good poetry?

Perhaps for some, but to me, poetry is something spontaneous. You never know when the most beautiful lines or thoughts will visit you. Overthinking has never been helpful to me as it encourages self-doubt. I still believe in the spontaneity of life and poetry. In my opinion, writing good poetry and bad poetry is subjective because the right chords of feelings will hit different people in different situations and states of mind.

What is your preferred or go-to medium for writing poetry? Is it your phone, or do you carry your notebook around?

I always carry a small notebook around. But it is more like whatever convenient medium one has, like a phone, etc. I use Canva to create my simple expressions.

How much heed do you give to literary devices while writing your poetry?

I usually write free verse, vers libre, a poem not defined by meter, rhyme, or scheme. So, it has no specific length or formal requirements. Nonetheless, I also rely on word choice and literary devices like alliteration, personification, anaphora, metaphor and imagery. 

What advice would you like to give the poets trying to make their mark?

Self-doubt and inconsistency are the handicaps for any passion. Embrace the poet within you, cultivate the poet within you, pamper the poet within you and feel good that at least you have the urge to write. Within every heart, a poem lies hidden. There can never be a one-size-fits-all to writing poetry because poetry is the language of the soul, and every poem contains an emotion that has touched some soul. I reiterate my belief anything that touches the soul is beautiful.

So stop waiting for perfection. Believe in yourself and allow your spirits to soar on the wings of poesy.