Impressions on Sarika Mukesh’s “Shabdon ke Pul” by Dr. Neelanjana Pthak

The longest distance can be bridged by the shortest words. Sarika Mukesh’s publication Shabdon ke Pul (“Bridges of Words”) 2014 did just this. Although I have not had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Sarika Mukesh personally, her books, sent so thoughtfully to me dissolve the distance of the thousands of miles that separate Vellore in Tamil Nadu from Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh, and bring me almost face to face with her. This is what all good literature must do-narrow the distance between the creator and the reader, especially when the collection is titled Shabdon ke Pul.

'Shabdon Ke Pul' by Dr. Sarika Mukesh  

I was charmed by the title and began to turn the pages musing one after the other on the more than eighty ‘moment’s monuments’ that it consisted of. It is with joy that I read of the healing power of poetry in the appended prefatory note wherein the author narrates the healing impact of her verse on an ailing near one. Let us hope that despite the cacophonous materialistic noises all around, poetry like all aesthetic pursuits shall continue to provide embalming music to weary souls. On this one hope the charm of good poetry can sustain itself despite assaults from so many directions.

In this brief write up I would like to randomly sum up my reflections on some selected poems from the volume:

·        The collection opens with a poem on Shri Krishna with a sequel following it on the Radha Krishna myth. Following this there are short pieces to charm a Krishna devote including one wherein the poet narrates an imaginary conversation with the mythical flute player raising rhetorical questions that delight.

·        There are captivating images of dawn and dusk presented before the mind’s eye in delightful shades with the poem on dawn ending with a Shellyian optimism spilling over also in the next poem ‘Asha-Pratyasha’. What a solace it is to read that the whole sky lies in our palm’s reach. An image of the sun mirroring the day deserves mention as does the striking nature image of moon and stars hanging on a rope in the sky.

·        ‘Sandhya Ke Waqt’ and ‘Haseen Shaam’ in a sequence are two beautiful illustration of sunset and the human activities that accompany and follow it. With deft strokes the hungers of love are only hinted at with a great deal more left to the imagination.

·        In ‘Tumhari Yaad’ memory is concretised through images of lotus, pearls and sandal. As in most  Haiku poetry, the images stem out of directly observed occurences, events and things and are therefore very easy to empathize with.

·        Kaleidoscopic pictures of memories confront us yet again towards the end of the collection in ‘Shesh Hai Yaad’- Memory personified as knocking at the mind – as hanging frames on walls bringing tears as they flash upon the inward eye.

·        These series of poems particularly made me recall Yeats often quoted lines “Out of the quarrel with others we make rhetoric; out of the quarrel with ourselves we make poetry”.

·        The titles are arresting and invite an immediate response from the poetry lover. They carry us directly to the core concern of the verse and leave us wonder-struck and reflecting for long after the hiaku reading is over. Short words, short stanzas, shorter lines carrying deep meanings and eternal truths clothed in sweeping generalisations –‘Sorrows will divide on sharing, joys will multiply (translated) – make a deep impact on the psyche. The pangs of a lover’s seperation are seldom so simply stated as in ‘Vidaa’ (Separation) where the title itself inducts us into the core concern of the poem.

·        Some grim issues and the need to direct the thinking of the readers in the direction of some corrective measures are highlighted in poems on practical issues related to everyday living like ‘Dudh Andolan’ , “Kaise Kaise Sach’ ‘Pahunch Gaye Kahan hum” (on Rising Sensex and Falling Sexual Morals), Parivartan (Change is the Eternal Truth), ‘Sansad Maun’ (Satire on Contemporary Political Scenario). The beauty of a poem lies in knowing exactly what is to be left unsaid- saying less and suggesting more. This is evident in poems of this collection like ‘Panchhi’, ‘Achha Vyaktitva’ and ‘Aakanksha’ to name a few. These poems illustrate Frost’s words that poetry is saying one thing meaning another. For instance the bitter truths of a fast paced mechanical life are hinted in ‘Jeevan ki Ramayan’. The spark is kindled to be turned ablaze in the readers’ minds.

·        “No poet can know what his poem is going to be like until he has written it”, opines W.H. Auden, “The Poem”, ‘Manovigyan’ is a penetrating picture of the human mind’s inexplicable workings. It raises pertinent questions related to everyday occurrences-why trains attract every age, why beauty seduces, why ripe fruits and beautiful flowers are the first to be plucked. ‘Umra and Hum’ is a new way of looking at birthdays as taking us a year closer to our end and hence a time to reflect on the shortness of life.

·        All human relationships are built or broken because of words, words both said or unsaid are indeed bridges that span the distance between two hearts and forge a connect/bond of a lifetime. Hence the title of the collection invites an immediate response as does the title poem  ‘Shabdo ke Pul’- it carries  a very delicately balanced image of broken relationships carried on fragile bridges of words–relationships break, bridges of words crumble in a moment (translation of second stanza). All bridges built by words lack a concrete foundation and can be devastated by storms of misunderstanding. The poem ends again with a rhetorical question on the transition of all relationships, leaving us thinking for long. Perhaps relationships fail because instead of building bridges we build walls of separation!

·        The poet’s succinct comment on the new culture so predominant everywhere expressed in a satiritic view in the aptly titled ‘Nayi Sanskrati’, rings a bell in every reader’s mind. We have all come across over ambitious aspiring youths who wish to rise tall even if it means by  beheading peers

       Barhte raho

       Chahe katna pare

       Kisi ka gala

·        The joyful pains of live expressed through concrete image of pearls is impressive in ‘Aansu’ as it brings to the mind the woes of a lover so hard to conceal even harder to reveal, similarly voiced again in ‘Na Chala Pata’ as pain is described to be  melting away like wax once blessed with the estacsies of love. There is a chain of poems on the myth of Draupadi’s public disrobing and her consequent plight as depicted in ‘The Mahabharta’. These clearly indicate the author’s feminist stance. Meaning words so aptly and directly used leave the reader pondering on the horrific disgrace of the mythical heroine and also all women thereafter. The poetic technique employed  has a mantric quality:

                Aaj .na kal

               Abla ho sabal

               Ichchha prabal

·        Indeed, “ True ease in writing comes with practice not chance, as those move easiest that have learnt to dance.”(Pope) ‘Naari: Ek Chitran’ has an image which makes a mark on the mind for being refreshingly innovative: the image of tongue and cheek to describe the state of women in a society burdened by lustful male gazes from all directions.

·        This unforgettable collection ends befittingly on a devotional note begging for forgiveness ending in all humility which is always the crowning glory of any artist. It instantly reminds one of Tagore’s muse in Geetanjali and the need to surrender ego at divine feet to accomplish bigger ideals.

·        The conventional three worded verse of haiku makes an immediate impact upon the audience’s mind we grasp the essence and retain it comes with a brief moment’s pause. This results in better empathy with the poet and the poem- there is deeper involvement. We respond better to poems that trigger in us similar memories of our own past and since this collection has such a rich medley of themes from different experiences of life, there is something to hold the interest of every section of reader. Also it most certainly leaves us in contemplation and virtually prepares us in remote ways to confront life’s ups and downs with more fortitude and maturity. This is the ultimate test that any work of art can be put to. I wish Sarikaji’s ‘God’s Plenty’ in all her forthcoming endeavors and am tempted to end with the words of T.S. Eliot, “Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go.”

Dr. Neelanjana Pathak

Jabalpur (M.P.)

15 February 2014
 

Dr. Neelanjana Pathak 

P.S: On the negative side, if I may share an opinion, the asterisk and the date of composition post every stanza acted as a deterrent in the free flow of thoughts. This could have been received only for the last stanza to ensure a free flow of thoughts.

Musings on “Khil Uthe Palash” by Dr Sarika Mukesh

                                      —Dr. Neelanjana Pathak.

                                                                    

                         

                                                     

                          "A poem is a vision

                            Which one can make

                            And unmake it

                            Till it is lost.

                            To find it

                            One must go

                            To the desert

                            With the wide eyed wonder

                            Looking for the shapes:

                            For a poem is

                            A framed sand-dune".

                            [O.P. Bhatnagar Oneric Vision]

If the above lines be true, Sarika Mukesh’s anthology of verse ‘खिल उठे पलाश’ (Khil Uthe Palash) appeals as a veritable treasure trove-a boundless expanse of shifting framed sand dunes-each different in hue, shade, shape and size feast herein. As the poetry lover eagerly turns the leaves of the collection, a kaleidoscopic panoramic vision of life greets, chills, thrills, enamors, astonishes, sadness, gladness and perplexes. Pleasures and pains, saints and sinners, memories and dreams, imagination and reality, expectation and disappointment, poverty and opulence, rural landscapes and urban life styles-a wide range of observations on these are treated with an intensity that forges an immediate rapport with the reader. The poems on shades of love, ironic vision of life, squalor and poverty, recklessness of youth, frozen feelings, genesis of poetry and many others leaves one wondering at “God’s plenty”. Also arguably, the poems tease us out of thought, making us contemplate on the truth in Mathew Arnold’s oft-quoted words, “Poetry is a criticism of life”. In her prefatory note, the poet writes that poetry stems out of the knocking of emotions on the creative mind and encompasses the pulsations of life. I concur.

          Following the epical tradition, the anthology opens with a soul stirring prayer to Goddess Saraswati, the Indian muse of learning and fine arts. This is followed by a couple of short poems like ‘मिलन’ (Milan) and ‘ना जाने कब’ (Na Jane Kab). These short verses bring home the idea that good poetry suggests a great deal more than what it says in explicit terms. Short, straight, simple, the direct lines travel unimpeded to the heart. ‘कविता तो खुद ही बहती है’ (Kavita To Khud Hi Bahati Hai) is on the genesis of poetry, reads like Ted Hughes “Thought Fox”; it lucidly advocate the wordsworthian concept of poetry as a spontaneous overflow of emotions rather than a premeditated conscious effort, thereby disagreeing with Nissim Ezekiel’s views on poetry in ‘Poet, Lover Bird Watcher’ (wherein the poet espouses that poetry like bird-hunting or pursuing a woman in love is an exercise in patience).

          The volume comprises of a string of poems drawn from stark realities of everyday living that stare our nation. ‘विसंगति’, ‘तुमने देखा है कभी’ (Visangati, Tumne Dekha Hai Kabhi) are poems that leave the readers reflective and contemplative without intentionally being didactic. There are some definite thought provoking messages to almost every section of society. Poems of socio-cultural reality like ‘युक्ति’ (Yukti) and ‘नियति’ (Niyati) (which brings to the mind the evil of female foeticide), are illustrations of good use of satire as a literary tool. A lightly written poem ‘दिल्ली में सफर करते हुए’ (Dilli Mein Safar Karte Huye) is far more than a mirror of metro train culture. It ends with a rhetorical question on the fine lines that distinguishes an educated elite from an uncouth rustic-who is better? The question tantalizes a sensitive reader. A fine instance of poetry as message in ‘एक हादसा’ (Ek Haadsa)-the narration of an accident due to carelessness that results in limb amputation. Frozen feelings, eroding values, growing competition are beautifully treated in ‘आदमी को ये क्या हो जाता है’ (Aadmi Ko Ye Kya Ho Jata Hai). Though the poem expresses several ideas, it could have been a longer version with some more reflections included. It certainly left me with a longing for a lot more that was left unsaid. A longer satirical poem encapsulating diverse ills of modern life style ‘बनाए रखें अपनी पहचान’ (Banaye Rakhen Apni Pehachan) has flashes of romantic pining for days that are no more, having been replaced by a faster, surer, mechanical life style:

                               स्मृतियाँ मिट रहीं अब

                        मिट रहे हैं निशान

                        (Smiritiyan mit rahi ab

                        Mit rahe hain nishan)

                        Closing with a practical counsel-

                        पैर धरती पर टिकाए रखें
                        और तब छुएं आसमान

                        (Pair dharti par tikaye rakhen

                        Aur tab chhuyen aasman)

          In many similar poems there is quest for cultural values and a subtle psychological analysis of the flux of human relationships.

          The wide thematic concerns of the poet include a poem on the peace experienced at Shantiniketan, practical concerns on poetry ‘कविता पढ़ने से पहले एक प्रश्न’ (Kavita Padhne Se Pehle Ek Prashn), ‘कल अचानक मिल गया एक कवि’ (Kal Achanak Mil Gaya Ek Kavi), ‘योगदान’ (Yogdaan) (lessons in gratitude) the fines shades of love ‘एक स्मृति’ (Ek Smriti), ‘कभी तो मिलेगा कोई’ (Kabhi To Milega Koyi), waning letters and increasing mails and text messages, moral responsibility ‘दायित्व’ (Daayitv) assuring the reader of the diversity of the poets interests and her being keenly alive to the heterogeneous tastes of a vast audience. She emerges not just as an poet who writes for the elite scholar, but as a poet who can sustain the interest of various cross sections of society. Her dexterity in using simple words changed with poetic fervor further helps in building an immediate rapport with the readers.

          The pun in the last line of the poem ‘शब्दों का फेर’ (Shabdon Ka Pher) establishes the idea of the poet possessing Prospero’s magical wand- कमाने (Kamaane) and कम आने (kam aane) is as impressive as मैया मोरी मैं नहीं माखन खायो (Maiya mori mai nahi makhan khayo) versus मैया मोरी मैंने ही माखन खायो (Maiya mori maine hi makhan khayo) in Anup Jalota’s famous bhajan. Another sparkling specimen of skillful use of words is in ‘डेंटिस्ट की दुविधा’ (Dentist Ki Duvidha):

                              तुम ये दाँत निकालना बंद कर दो

                              तो मैं तुम्हारा दाँत निकालूँ
                              (Tum ye daant nikalna band kar do
                              To mai tumhara daant nikaloon)

          As I eagerly turned the leaves, and glided from one thought to another, the idea that recurred to me was that a good poet is certainly blessed with a keen observation and insight that enables him/her to speculate on trifles that almost always skip a lesson fortunate ordinary being. The life of the youth today is remarkably condensed in ‘नई सदी का युवा’ (Nayi Sadi Ka Yuva)-a real eye-opener to many. The sentiments in ‘आधुनिकता का असर’ (Adhunikta Ka Asar) touched me deeply. It is a record of the suppressed woes of so many silent fathers dumb founded by the beady intoxications of pleasure in today youth. It is a remarkable poem that expresses the problem of generation gap between the parents and their children who have habitually descended into the mire of a desultory aped western existence.

          The title of the poem on Virginia Woolf immediately catches attention-it is a poetic rendering of the sufferings in the novelist’s life, the angst within which evolved her into one of the finest women writers of the western world. The poem is a happy wedding of the East and the West-an occidental writer being honored in an oriental language. Another poem that impresses is ‘प्रकृति की लीला’ (Prakriti Ki Leela) which studies Nature “red in tooth and claw”-as both Preserver and Destroyer akin to Shelley’s Cloud. The hopeful closure of the title piece ‘खिल उठे पलाश’ (Khil Uthe Palash) brings a fresh gale of hope, echoes of Shalley, “If winter comes can spring be far behind?” This poem sparks a bright ray of hope that can light the way out of a dark tunnel to nay hapless reader, reminiscent of the title of the poet’s earlier collection “एक किरण उजाला” (Ek Kiran Ujala) and “पानी पर लकीरें” (Pani Par Lakeeren). As opposed to this, the poem ‘जरा ठहर अभी ओ अंतिम वसंत’ (Zara Thehar Abhi O Antim Vasant ) is a depressing poem-not just sad, but bordering on self-pity. Also, it is placed at a point where it does not seem to go with the mood of the preceding poems. Thus, it creates a jerk as does Keats’ remembrance of spring in a poem (‘Ode to Autumn’) addressing the bounties of autumn: ‘Where are the songs of spring. Aye where are they?’ in my opinion the poem should not have been placed where it is, though it is a poem expressing the poet’s perspective on this changing world through metaphorical expression that widens the range and lends it a philosophical dimension.

          Frost’s conviction that all poetry is metaphor or it is nothing is best represented in ‘हर दिन एक इतिहास’ (Har Din Ek Itihas)–a statement of dates that are born to die churned in the cyclic progression of Time that merges the past into the present to give birth to a future. This idea is expressed through striking images of dates in squares on a calendar page. Yet another mastery use of imagery is in imaging mobile towers as vigilant guards in Vellore at Night-a happy instance of expressing the abstract through the concrete and sure terms. The poem ‘Delhi Red Light’ comments interestingly on the peculiarities of life in the capital metro city. The helplessness of the vendors is contrasted with the supercilious attitude of the prospective buyers generating in our minds a concern for the marginalized sections of society. A truly contemporary poem, it considerably narrows the distance between the poet and her readers. It can be read as a celebration of the “ordinariness of most events” echoing Pope’s fine sentiments, “What oft was thought but never so well expressed”.

          Modern living within enclosures called Apartments finds a non-serious approach in a poem by the same name. the poem scrutinizes the lives of city dwellers through the persona of a speaker burdened and bewildered by the pressures of a competitive closed, materialistic and selfish existence which allows little space for human feelings to grow. Some other bitter truths of Kalyuga are catalogued with absolute conversational ease in a long poem with an avesting title-‘मगर भगवान नहीं मिलता’ (Magar Bhagvan Nahi Milta). This is rumination on the swiftly changing ways of the world with lines that ring a familiar bell in every sensitive reader:

                     शीशे जैसे पारदर्शी यहाँ क्यों मन नहीं होते,

                     कण-कण में तेरे क्यों यहाँ दर्शन नहीं होते?
                     (Sheeshe jaise pardarshi yahan kyo man nahi hote
                     Kan-kan mein tere kyo yaha darshan nahi hote)

          Indeed, it is not easy any longer for aspiring poets to achieve wide acceptability, but when themes are diverse and universal in appeal, the interest of poetry lovers can be long sustained, and the fame of poet is thereby assumed. In the last poem, ‘अहा! अंतिम पृष्ठ’ (Aha! Antim Prishth) (Aha! What a title) with a deft stroke, the poet appeals to her readers not to begin the book where it ends, but begin from the beginning-from the seed, to the sapling, to the plant and the tree where smile the beautiful red ‘Palash’-so symbolic of life in all its freshness and vibrant color. A very impressive end to an equally awesome creation. The merits of the anthology can best be summed up in her own words:

                            क्या तुमने देखी है ऐसी कविता?

                           (Kya tumne dekhi hai aisi kavita?)

          My sincere good wishes to my poet friend who found a place in my heart and even touched a part of my soul by her soulful expression of moving sentiments. These rainbow shades of life’s vicissitudes and the governing emotions can secure a place for Sarika Mukesh as a poet for long years to come. In Shakespeare’s words:

                           So long as men can breathe or eyes can see

                           So long lives this, and this gives life to thee. 

Amen!

          The sand dunes artistically created leaves indelible patterns on the mind and continue to make one contemplate till long after the collection is laid aside. The poet deserves to be congratulated and encouraged to write more and more. In her own words, I conclude:

                            चरैवति, चरैवति!

                            चलते रहो, चलते रहो!!
                           (Charaivati, charaivati!
                           Chlte raho, chalte raho!!)

                                                *********