Poems, Prayers and Promises

By Fr Austin Norris

(Copies available at: Ganesh Offset Printers, Dadar (W). Tel: 97026 85555; email: ganeshoffset1@gmail.com; GSTIN: 27AALPS8325D1ZG; Priced at Rs 150/- per book.)

The Ruby Sacerdotal Anniversary (40 years) of Fr Austin Norris on April 27, 2025 also saw the release of his first collection of poetry entitled Poems, Prayers and Promises. The title is reminiscent of one of the best-known songs of American singer-songwriter, John Denver (his musical hero). The concelebrated Mass (at St Andrew's College Chapel in Bandra), followed by a glittering reception in the adjoining College hall, combined to form the perfect backdrop for the official book launch.

Regular readers of The Examiner are probably familiar with Fr Austin's poetic musings that are often inspired by local and international events. Other readers, privileged to be pals with him through Whatsapp contact lists, have been privy to the frequent appearance of his poems through private social media outlets. Although one of his poems ('Nestor Norris' – a tribute to his newly-born nephew) was penned as early as 2009, with another ('A Prayer') following suit in 2010, the majority of the poems in the collection have been written since 2020. A certain degree of confidence in his poetic talents, coupled with the more abundant availability of platforms through which they could be disseminated, resulted in a prolific outpouring of poems that have sharpened his skills. The old adage, "Practice makes perfect," is decidedly evident in the quality of the verse that, like good wine, has improved with age.

The collection is thematically divided into nine sections: Personal, Church, General, Travels, Religious, School, Sports, Family and Friends. In his Introduction to the collection, Fr Austin reveals, "Poetry has been my pastime. Couching words into lines, sentences and verse has fascinated me. Be it songs, hymns, impromptu verse or prose, God has blessed me with this ability, and I use it for His glory." William Wordsworth, in his Preface to the 1789 edition of his first publication of poetry, Lyrical Ballads, a volume that introduced the world to Romanticism in Literature, referred to his song-like verses as "the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings." Fr Austin's poetry stands firmly within this Romantic tradition in that his verses are penned almost cathartically, an overflow of strong emotion directing his choice of words towards rhyme in four-lined quarterly installments of (usually) four stanzas each. His fondness for such stylised structure brings a child-like quality to the poetry as his thoughts tumble out in exuberant abundance.

Fr Austin's fascination with the endless variety of experiences that he encounters daily—no matter how mundane—brings poems gushing out. Consider, for example, 'The Bus Ride' which provides visual details of his sojourn, and 'Dodging death, celebrating life' in a BEST bus. Other poems, such as 'The Journey of Life' are more philosophical, suiting the temperament, perhaps, of a priest for whom each day is "a new learning experience/Of Miniscule space and maximum call." Other poems provide insight into the impact of his travel pilgrimages—sojourns in which spiritualism mingled with frank tourist delight. Whether he lingered in the Kashmir Valley, coveting it enough to wish it were home, or on the serene beaches of the Andaman Islands; whether he was moved by blessings from 'The Virgin of Medjugorje' or seduced by 'Zagreb at Dusk,' his pen produced stanzas that link him forever with memories that, through his verse, will remain indelible.

The Romantic tradition also benefited from the practice of poetry by Samuel Taylor Coleridge who (when co-writing the Preface to Lyrical Ballads with his best friend, Wordsworth) described his own poems as "thoughts recollected in tranquility." Coleridge was clearly contradicting Wordsworth, for whom the acts of re-thinking, revising, rewriting and editing were clearly anathema. While Wordsworth's spontaneity is admirable in itself, Coleridge knew that literary memory profits from tranquil recollection, and that the two aspects of creative writing ought to go hand-in-hand in the production of truly fine verse. Fr Austin's poems, while impressive in their copiousness, would clearly move from mere ditties into stirring stanzas, were the poet to exercise greater restraint in rhyme, diction and phrase. One wishes he would move beyond simple versification to innovation with rhythm and meter, to experiment with imagery, as well as those most handy of literary devices – simile and metaphor. His enthusiasm to produce creative literary work "in the moment" triumphs over his desire or ability to work carefully and deliberately over the craft of poetry that calls for its own gruelling routines.

That said, his tribute to family members and friends (including a profile poem on my own father, Robert D'Souza) are profoundly moving, and a testament to his own frequent reflection on the power of friendship. There is nothing that Fr Austin takes for granted in his daily progression through life. Every aspect of it is occasion for meditation, for pausing to wonder, for marvelling at God's Creation and his place in it. In this respect, he reminds one of the Jesuit poet, Gerard Manley Hopkins, whose craftsmanship he could do well to emulate. This joie de vivre is both commendable and inspiring. It makes the reading of this self-published volume an uplifting and thoroughly rewarding experience.

Prof. (Dr) Rochelle Almeida