The village poet

MV Fabiyas, a little-known poet in North Kerala, has been nominated for the prestigious Pushcart Prize

Photos by Albin Mathew 

By Shevlin Sebastian 

‘We’re living 

In a pesticide era. 

Existence is in poison. 

Peasants are persuaded.

Their minds are mulched

With chemical thoughts. 

Vegetable gardens are gruesome

Not green, but

A toxic shade of death dominates.

Even deep purple grapes

In the vineyards 

Don’t tempt birds.’

This is an extract from ‘Chemical Weapon’, a poem from the book, ‘Shelter within the Peanut Shells’. The book, a mix of poems and short stories, has been written by Malayali poet Fabiyas MV. An English teacher, who lives in Orumanayur village in Thrissur district, Kerala, the American magazine Poetry Nook has just nominated his work for the prestigious Pushcart Prize. 

This little-known poet has been extensively published in journals in the USA, UK, Australia, Canada and Nepal. And what is even more surprising is that he has won several poetry awards. These include the PoetrySoup International Award, the Merseyside at War Poetry Award from John Moores University, Liverpool and the Animal Poetry prize from the Royal Society for Prevention of Cruelties against Animals. Fabiyas was also a finalist for the Global Poetry Prize.

In India, his poems have been broadcast on All India Radio. 

But being nominated for the Pushcart Prize was the stunner. Frank Watson, the editor of Poetry Nook, says, “Fabiyas displays a unique insight into the human condition, often told through stories of the afflicted or forgotten. His perspective opens the reader’s eyes to deeper ways of looking at the world.” 

Adds Roxana Nastase, Editor-in-Chief of Scarlet Leaf Review (Canada), “Although fantasy shimmers, the real world holds pain, blood and existential truths, and the pull of all of those is stronger than the dreamy quality of the imagination of Fabiyas.” 

The poet’s subjects include autism, insanity, death, monsoons, elephants, midnight dreams, thieves, liquor, pregnancy, illiteracy and Ghulam’s ghazals. The other books he has published include ‘Kanoli Kaleidoscope’, ‘Monsoon Turbulence’, ‘Eternal Fragments’, and ‘Moonlight and Solitude’. 

The biggest influence in the life of Fabiyas has been his late father MV Alikutty. He was a well-known writer in Malayalam who has published more than 20 novels, travelogues and memoirs.

“From my childhood, my father would tell stories to me,” says Fabiyas. “I was in Class 7 when I wrote my first poem. When I showed it to him, he was very happy. He told all his friends that I had written a poem. It was he who told me to continue writing. I still remember that moment so clearly. He has always inspired me.”  

And his village also inspires him. He stays near the Canoli Canal, which was built by the British in 1848. He has lived on its banks since his childhood. “The canal serves as an inspiration, so do the people around me,” says Fabiyas.  

However, in a village where there is a low awareness regarding literature, many did not know he is a poet. It all became clear to them when an article about Fabiyas was published in the local Malayalam newspaper.  

But Fabiyas is not deterred by the lack of poetry fans in the village. “Outside India, there are thousands who consider poetry as their lifeblood,” he says. “The US-based PoetrySoup group has 25,000 members. All of them have a passion for poetry.” 

Nevertheless, there is a feeling that reading has gone down. Fabiyas shakes his head and says, “I don’t think so. The platform has only changed: from print to digital.”  

Most mornings, Fabiyas, a father of two teenage girls, gets up early and sits at his desk. When he picks up his pen, he says the lines come out in a flow, like a river. “Many times, editors told me my language is apt for poetry,” he says. “When I write fiction, readers have told me it reads like poetry. I need a lot of time to complete my fiction. But poetry only takes about two hours.”  

Thus far, he has published 200 poems. Whatever money he earns from his writing, he uses it for the welfare of orphans.  

Finally, when asked about his favourite poet, Fabiyas says, “It is the British poet William Wordsworth (1770-1850) who is known for his poems on nature. “But I like his spirituality poems like ‘Intimations of Immortality’,” he says.