Written by: Mariam Saeed Khan
Posted on: January 04, 2021 | 
Afshan Shafi
Quiet Women opens with a small poem by Joan Miro which sets a tone of the colored spectrum of poetic verses and notes:
‘I try to apply colors like words that shape poems. Like notes that shape music’- Joan Miro
TS Eliot Award Nominee and winner of the Forward Prize for Poetry, Vahni Capildeo has praised ‘Quiet Women,’ saying “Beyond these aesthetic and imaginative satisfactions, there is also intelligence at work, taking every juncture and interaction between creature and being, thought and world, body and history.”
I had to read this book in a few sittings to absorb its observations, for the poetry was so strong in its way of process. Imaginative worlds of subconscious, unconscious and the conscious are the three main ideas and themes behind Surrealism, which Shafi has explored and experimented with using word play. The strong use of symbolism is depicted in her language and techniques. Reality is fused with abstract and linguistic artistic freedom. The power of collective voices and the illustrations pay a homage to women, unfolding the journey of how a rebellious soul finally gets to shine.
‘Each poem in ‘Quiet Women’ is a tribute to the marginalized female figure, whether she is an artist or poet. It aims to counter reality with dream-like imagery and re-engineer the accepted image of the woman as an ‘outlier’. Quiet Women’ deals with the notion of female silence and the policing of a women’s language and her personal choices. Each poem is accompanied by visual and sensory illustrations, made by the acclaimed artists who collaborated with Shafi: Samya Arif (Pakistan), Marjan Baniasadi (Iran) and Ishita Basu Mallik (India).
Cover Page - Afshan Shafi Quiet Women
The book starts with the poem titled, ‘How to be a reverent versifier’ that had a strong sense of anger as it started with building up mystery, with each verse being stronger in its sense of loss and disillusionment. The personal poet’s touch in it, seems to make it open to subjective interpretation:
like that fresh set of lips you’ve been coveting, for your other life where you’re the cliffhanger profound, hellbent on sonnets
Illustrations from 'Quiet Women'
The title of the book, “Quiet Women” , and the poem itself signifies a journey of a woman from the womb towards the world as being raw and loud, ‘Didn’t start out quiet. Until drawn out of my own body to scarf it cell by cell, last meal’. It makes the readers conscious about the phases we women experience with or without any choice. It ends with symbolism and a dream-like state of life, evoking a strong sense of self in the face of society. Ms. Shafi tells readers stories belonging to us in a way which leave us with wonder for days after: ‘dear illusionist/ your magic was/ bloodshot.’
"‘Buried amongst flowers in Pakistan’ is inspired by the writings of Rumi/Robert Browning and Vladimir Nabokov. This poem is a testimony to Ms. Shafi’s craft of feeling and seeing things that others may not draw connection to, and readers also get an insight into her poetic heroes."
In, ‘Ignorant men dominate women for they are shackled by the ferocity of animals, White butterflies turn lavender’ she talks about death, politics and the spirituality of society, and it is for the reader to reflect on the beauty of each line relative to their own experiences. Although it is surrealist, it depicts a reality of being buried by the patriarchy.
The Illustration for Successful Neon
One of my personal favorite poems from the book, though it is hard to choose, is ‘Successful Neon’, with the illustration made by Samya Arif. It is a longer paragraph of poetic lines of war within a war, of love and unrequited love, with guns and roses symbolizing loss of jaded time and a war of the world through words and feelings that were left unsaid. Each image speaks to each line with utmost precision. It is a complex universe, but her technique requires meditative reading.
Marjan Baniasadi's artwork for Smoke Borders
‘Smoke Borders’ is the last poem in the book, which talks about the struggles of Partition and women who lost homes in the violence. It starts out with poetic quotes by Antoine de Saint-Exupery and Rabindranath Tagore, and offers an account of the inner pain of these women, which echo in the generations after. ‘An impossible serenity, washes /over the fawn-sward/ sleeping forms, overcome that oarless song.’ The illustrations are vividly painting a sense of loss, displacement and yearning by Marjan Baniasadi below for this particular poem.
Illustration by Marjan Baniasadi
One’s hands are ruby shellfish/ pocked templates/ for vowels roughened / on the palms in prayer
‘Young Ghosts’ is divided into three parts of narrative voice. Part I opens with poetic lines by Veronica Forrest-Thomas; part II with Sylvia Plath and III ends on Egon Schiele. ‘Young Ghosts reflects on the lives of three accomplished artists. It draws on their work heavily and pulls and grafts at their hunger for verse, the pen and the brush. It engages with the sensual ‘feel’ of their individual artistic impulses.’ – Shafi explained.
I would trade half the world for the scent of an / Paris-blossom and for a moment/ amongst/ the silver violinists, the dissident linguists.
‘The two of me’ is caught between two personalities and persona; this poem’s theme is open to interpretation as to what the reader takes from it. Cross stitch knits of imagery reveals the inner world of the poet’s character.
I would like for this work to be seen as unapologetic poetry. I would like for it to be seen as deeply experimental, deeply personal and as a tribute to the surreal. I would like for other young writers to take heart from this work, and boldly write in ways which surprise and scare them.
The Cover for 'Odd Circles'
“Odd Circles” was my debut book and quite abstruse in parts. It was a very important part of my journey of defining myself and of overcoming a writer’s self-consciousness and putting my aesthetic out there. “Odd Circles” is a homage to all kinds of characters, including those as disparate as Audrey Hepburn and the veteran Punjabi politician, Chaudhry Shujaat. I am heavily interested in both classic Hollywood and local politics, so ‘Odd Circles’ reflects these divergent absorptions quite well!
When I finished reading the book, I felt its impact for days afterwards, as I absorbed and observed the different perspectives, connotations and meanings behind the writer’s sharp yet compassionate voice. It is the perfect balance between realism and surrealism. I cannot wait to see what Ms. Shafi will have on offer for her readers in her next book. “Quiet Women” is recommended for slow and mindful reading with a cup of tea. It will bring one warmth to readers in these times.
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