“The King and Queen of Poetry Collaborations”
And Their Kingdom Of Epistolary Poetry
Epistolary poems date at least as early as the Roman poet Ovid (43 BC – 17 or 18 AD), who wrote the Heroides (The Heroines) or Epistulae Heroidum (Letters of Heroines), a collection of fifteen epistolary poems presented as though written by a selection of aggrieved heroines of Greek and Roman mythology, which sometimes read as love letters or conversations
DAWN TO DUSK!
My Love…
Like a dawn you entered my life Calm and quiet, all refreshing
And I came adorned in the dust
Of every lane and alley You came like an Angel
The panacea of my heartache.
I haven’t returned to my life again
But for a wound open today.
Perhaps I have reached The dusk of my life.
©Dr. Prasana Kumar Dalai
***
DUSK TO DAWN!
My Dearest Love…
If from the dust you have come to me
I will restore your heart to where it began.
I have watched the knife that caused the wound,
and my love will be the salve that heals it.
For my love did not come from a jealous heart,
but from a place of pureness where only love can come from.
Let me bathe you in my affection,
because in my eyes I see no dusk, only our dawn together.
©Kristy Raines
On August 18, 2022, Dr. Prasana Kumar Dalai and Kristy Raines wrote their first Epistolary Poem together titled “From Dusk to Dawn.” They posted it in many literary groups on Facebook. People liked them . His poetry had already had every component in it to use in an Epistolary poem. Kristy Raines wrote a poem that would fit perfectly with his. At the time, it was just an idea. They had no idea that there was already a name for these poems… Epistolary.. Any mistakes in grammar were not corrected, because in life, there are mistakes and they wanted to make them as realistic as possible. They have also never used any AI software to write, which also sets them apart from many who then started writing collaborative poetry.
Kristy states, “Dr. Dalai being a Romantic Poet and me, at the time, a Fantasy Writer, for some reason worked perfectly together. I now have found my niche as a Romantic Poet also.”
They continued to write these poems together, which many seemed to like, even to the point that they were believable. Some people actually thought these poems were written for each other. But that was not the case.
What and how they wrote together was very calculated. Dr. Dalai already wrote in a beautiful and melancholic way, which was already similar to what very well could have been written in a love letter. Kristy then came up with a response poem that would pair well with his poem. They then looked up different styles of poetry and discovered that their poems together were actually Epistolary, which are not really collaborations. Epistolary poetry is an art in the literary world dating way back in history.
They’ve set out to make a name for themself for the sake of literature to keep the art of Epistolary poetry alive. As far as they know, they have broken records for writing the most Epistolary poems. Two hundred, to be exact. They were not just looking for surpass a record, but the quality of their poetry had to be unique and exquisite. I think that they have accomplished this. There is a great difference between Collaborations and Epistolary poetry. It took serious dedication and much time and effort on both of their parts. They have a great writing relationship and are quite serious about their further goals to be listed as Epistolary Poets in Wikipedia and eventually be listed in the Guinness Book of Records Their biggest accomplishment would to have their book of 200 Epistolary poem placed in University Libraries Internationally to keep the Art of Epistolary Poetry alive for many generations to come. Their first book of their first 100 poems, “I Cross My Heart From East to West”, should publish soon and the second one to follow with the next 100 poems. They plan to continue writing together.
Dr. Prasana Kumar Dalai Author-cum-poet is a tremendous lecturer of English by profession in the Ganjam district of Odisha. He is an accomplished source of inspiration for the young generation of India. His free verse on Romantic and melancholic poems appreciated by everyone. He belongs to a small typical village Nandiagada of Ganjam District, the state of Odisha. After schooling he studied intermediate and Graduated In Kabisurjya Baladev Vigyan Mahavidyalaya then M A in English from Berhampur University PhD in language and literature and D.Litt from Colombian poetic house from South America. He promotes his specific writings around the world literature and trades with multiple stems that are related to current issues based on his observation and experiences that needs urgent attention. He is an award winning writer.
Kristy Ann Raines, born Kristy Rasmussen on April 9, 1957 in Oakland, California in the United States of America, is a very passionate poet and writer and known for her unique style of writing. Kristy’s writing is a very versatile, from fantasy and romance, to serious subjects such as, spirituality, domestic violence, and Anti-War. Kristy has also become an award winning writer known internationally among her peers. She has also been awarded and recognized as an Advocate for the Rohingya People living in Cox’ Bazar refugee camps and and Orphanage in India. She worked as a civil servant for the US Naval Reserve Readiness Command in San Francisco, California and then later retired from the Medical Field as a Medical Tech/Phlebotomist/Office Manager and certified coder.
