A review by sebby_reads
Picking off new shoots will not stop the spring: Witness poems and essays from Burma/Myanmar (1988-2021) by ko ko thett, Brian Haman

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.75

To commemorate the one-year anniversary of 2021 Burmese Revolution, Ethos Books published ‘Picking off new shoots will not stop the spring:Witness poems & essays from Burma/Myanmar 1988-2021’ to share the voices of Burmese people and their fight against Tatmadaw (the military junta). The e-book is free to download internationally on Ethos Books’ website. Thanks a lot to Ethos Books for providing me an e-ARC of this book.
Two editors, Ko Ko Thett (Burmese poet & literary translator) and Brian Haman (researcher & writer), compiled the writing of poets and writers from various ethnic groups and backgrounds. Some are written in English and some are translated from Burmese. This anthology features a variety of voices including prominent contemporary authors and activists. Organized in reverse chronological order, the contents showcase the regime’s oppression towards the citizen for generations. First section comprises poems and essays on 2021 revolution and it fills the half of the book. The second section covers the writing from 2010 to 2020 whereas the final section includes the content from 1988 to 2010. Rather than labelling as ‘resistance’ writing, the editors used the term ‘witness poems and essays’ as it is more subjective and has no political agenda manifestation.
The anthology is sharp and multifaceted. It includes the events in early days of revolutions such as various forms of nationwide protests, personal account on fleeing one’s own home to refuge camp, stories and tributes to our fallen heroes as well as about the courageous people who stood up for the injustice. The transformation of the revolution can be studied in a few essays, too. Some of writers and poets in the book were tortured or shot to dead by the junta. Some have been sentenced to multiple years in prison. Some entered the jungle and joined the ethnic armed organisations to fight the regime. Some have to flee the country for safety.
I received the ARC in early January and honestly, it was not an easy read as it hit so close to home. I have a chest full of emotions jumbled together. I feel enraged and dejected in some parts cause the poems and essays are very graphic. These are our wounds. Some are my own bruise, some are my friends’ and all are our people’s wounds endured for many years. I had to take several breaks while reading it, sometimes hours and at times, days. Equivalently, I get encouraged by the empowering stories of the people who are resolute and unswerving in this fight. Yes, our wounds are still fresh and they have barely healed. Reading this book is like picking off the scabs unconsciously which makes the wounds fresh again. But I am also reminded to keep resisting the injustice and involve in this revolution.
Title of this book is a slight resemblance to a quote from the Nobel prize winning poet Pablo Neruda—“You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep spring from coming.” Spring has always been a symbol of hope. It is the return of warm sunbeams after long cold winter nights. Though people’s spirit can be obscured for certain amount of time but it can never be broken over the long run. We shall keep fighting the darkness with the light within us.
So, for fellow Burmese people and those who have experienced abuse and oppression, please beware of graphic and violent contents. Take a break if necessary. What important for us as the readers is what we take from our read. This book exhibits our collective traumas and I hope to overcome them collectively, as well. Many of us took our fragile democracy for granted. It is a valid reminder that a “learning experience” for us could come at the expense of the feelings and lives of our own. Last, but never the least, our revolution must prevail.
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