صالح السهلي: «شاعر النخبة» أقرب لذائقتي.. وأكثر قصائدي شهرة أقلّها إبداعاً

In the Saudi poetic scene, poet Saleh Al-Suhaili stands out as one of the voices that combines the authenticity of experience with the depth of contemplation, having managed to establish his presence through texts that stem from genuine feelings and respect for poetry before seeking the spotlight.

In this interview, Al-Suhaili opens the doors to his poetic and human experience, discussing his relationship with poetry and life, the influence of place on shaping his creative consciousness, and his vision for the transformations of the poetic scene in the era of digital platforms. He also addresses issues related to "Qalta" poetry and public taste, revealing the features of the poet who resides behind the text, and what he hopes will remain of him in the memory of poetry and people.

Poet Saleh Al-Suhaili continues to build his unique voice, a voice that sees wonder as a reason for existence, and words as a responsibility. Between Hail, which shaped his early memory, the gatherings that refined his wisdom, and the platforms that tested him before the audience, Al-Suhaili emerges here to unveil a part of his vision for poetry, for humanity, and for the art that is not solely written by the poet but is rather written by life itself. And from here, the beginning was:

“But” humiliates what comes before it

• From Saleh Al-Suhaili outside the poem.. the man or the poet?

•• I am just a simple man, trying to shield myself with God's grace. Poetry is written by both men and women, and although "but" humiliates what comes before it, a man may adorn himself in his words, whether in poetry or prose.

• Is the poem for you a stance in life or a moment of feeling?

•• The poem is something else; it may be a window overlooking deep things in life, or a door opening onto corridors of contemplation, or a sidewalk of questions about existence, faith, death, and life.

Impact on the human and the poet

• When do you feel that the poetic verse has triumphed over you before it triumphs for the recipient?

•• Any poetic verse known by people but whose author is unknown is a verse that has triumphed over the poet with the blessing of taste.

• Hail in your poetry.. a birthplace or a memory that does not leave the text?

•• Hail is a city to which every poet born on its diverse and different land owes. Hail has a significant and exciting impact on the poet as a human; how could it not, being nestled in the mountains and having given birth to men?

The mind as a “tie”

• Did gatherings shape you more than books did?

•• In the company of the early men during my upbringing, I learned that intelligence is not enough, and that the mind is a "tie" that restrains a man and makes him more dreamful and knowledgeable. My father once told me: “Half of knowledge is a predicament.” The gatherings were schools, and in the minds and experiences of the authors from distinguished scholars, there is what makes you more aware and more mature.

I do not wish to respond

• Are you afraid of the poem that reaches people more than you expect?

•• Most of my famous poems are among the least creative, and the opposite is true; don’t ask me why.

• Which is closer to Saleh Al-Suhaili: a poet of the masses or a poet of the elite?

•• This is a question I wish I didn't have to answer, but in any case, the poet of the elite is closer to my taste.

• Does popularity on social media serve the poet or test his resilience?

•• It serves him and tests him at the same time. Popularity is beautiful, but it reveals the poet who has a project, distinguishing him from the poet who lives on a fleeting moment and feeds on temporary occasions.

Between the platform and the text

• What is the difference between a poet who writes for the platform and a poet to whom the platform comes?

•• The former chases interaction, while the latter is pursued by the poem. The platform may grant you presence, but the text alone grants you permanence.

• Does poetry lose something when it turns into a widely circulated clip?

•• It may lose its depth if one line is taken out of context, but it may gain a new audience. It depends on the strength of the text and the awareness of the recipient.

• In love poetry.. does the poet write about his beloved or his perception of her?

•• He writes his perception of what distinguishes this love, and love is nothing but the existence of a feature in the beloved.

The poet and the smart marketer

• What has changed in the audience's taste between the council poem and the platform poem?

•• The poem is the same in both the council and the platform, but each has a different theatrical presence. Today, poetry is much more beautiful than before, and this is due to changes; the tools have changed, and the machinery of poetry has renewed and matured.

• Do you think poetry today needs a strong poet or a smart marketer?

•• This depends on the audience's taste, but unfair marketing has spoiled taste and confused sweetness.

• If you could return to the beginnings.. what advice would you give to young Saleh Al-Suhaili?

•• Read more, listen more, and write more. I will be honest with you: there are poems I wished I had written in the beginnings, but now their time has passed, and there is no justification for writing them anymore.

The spirit of “Qalta” and drifting

• Have social media saved poetry from isolation or weakened its taste with rapid spread?

•• Social media has served poetry in terms of spreading and has given it a wider audience, but on the other hand, it has made some texts pass quickly without true appreciation. The problem lies in the way of usage, not in the medium.

• Does "Qalta" poetry today maintain its popular spirit or sometimes drift towards tribal discord?

•• "Qalta" poetry is a beautiful art with its presence, and it has maintained its spirit in many aspects, but in some situations, it drifts into tribal discord or excessive enthusiasm. Here, the responsibility lies with both the poet and the audience.

• Does "Qalta" poetry today need an aesthetic charter to protect the art from tribal discord?

•• Yes, it needs awareness before the charter. Whenever poets and the audience agree that art is greater than fanaticism, "Qalta" poetry will remain beautiful, respected, and impactful.

• In one sentence.. what does Saleh Al-Suhaili want to remain in the memory of poetry?

•• I want to remain a poet who wrote sincerely, respected the poem, and left a verse that touches people after his absence.