EVENTIDE BY VASUDHA PANSARE

 ‘Eventide’ – the title of the poetry book by Vasudha Pansare hints at a major theme that nestles within, one that deals with the evening of our lives.

“However long, the day will end,” says the poet, using a metaphor for life and death, which is carried on throughout the book in various other poems such as ‘The Evening of Life’, ‘Mortality’, ‘The Evening Sky’, ‘Twilight’, ‘Evening’ and ‘When It’s Time to Die’.

“Tranquil should be our sunset years,”

“The twilight has entered my being, / And tranquil I feel, without and within.”

“The sun of youthfulness has set, / And I do not regret.”

The poet prays for the health and happiness of all in the eventide of life. Another apt metaphor sings of the ocean of life and human beings as boats. “I am a weak little boat, and the waves turbulent.” She is very much a nature poet as she finds beauty everywhere in nature. “We are like Autumn leaves, / Here today, gone tomorrow.”

A sense of thankfulness runs through many of Vasudha Pansare’s poems.

‘Growing Older’ describes how “the pace of life/ Becomes slow and steady” while ‘Memories’ are precious and to be cherished. Life is full of ‘Wonder’, which includes the wonderful beauty of Nature and human goodness, the miracle of life and the heart to feel, words that remind one of Wordsworth and the Nature poets. The cup of life will overflow when one gives generously.

The Spring Season (Cascade Poetry) describes the beauty of the season, with pristine greenness spreading everywhere, as a sense of joy pervades animals, birds, human beings, flowers and even rivers gurgling happily.

Writing is obviously a significant part of the poet’s life. In the poem ‘The Power of an Idea’, she explores the idea of how every revolution begins with an idea, quoting Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi whose ideas inspired the world. She waxes eloquent about the bliss of creativity, waiting for words of inspiration as she moves towards “the paradise of poetic passion”. For she is unique, her poetry her achievement, “her golden fleece”.

The patriotic streak emerges in many poems in which she visualises an India that is free of social evils. ‘Dawn’ portrays the state of the country where secularism is under threat, a portrait that spans across other poems like ‘I Bet’ and ‘The Dream I Still Cherish ‘where she talks of a world turning into a utopia minus corruption, discrimination, tree cutting, violence against women and children and poverty. The nation needs wisdom rather than knowledge and compassion rather than just intelligence. ‘I am Not Only a Foetus’ speaks of the telling truth of how a girl has a right to be born, live and grow up, healthy and happy.

History has thrown up many events and leaders who have made their mark in the world. ‘The Power of One’ proclaims that “One man can change the world, for better or for worse.” Lincoln, Gandhi and Hitler, proved that “One rebel can start a revolution.”

‘Gone But Not Forgotten’ are the greats like Dr. B R Ambedkar and Abe Lincoln who fought for women’s emancipation and black emancipation respectively (‘Emancipation’). It is time to ‘Make the Nation Strong Again’ and bring back Nehru, Gandhi, Patel Tagore, Bhagat Singh and the like.

What is unique about this book of poetry is how much it packs within a slim volume. There are 101 poems, followed by eight Tiny Verses at the end.

There is no denying the beauty of the language used by the poet in many of her poems.  Whether it is “days like simmering satin” in ‘Those Jasmine Days’ or ‘The Music of the Falling Rain’, or the wonder of a little girl holding a dandelion “blowing away the tiny petals in the wind”, the images are languid and telling. The last image continues in the poem ‘Dandelions’ where the poet denies that dandelions are weeds. “They are the marvelous seeds, / Of wishes and dreams, / Scattered in the winds of hope.” In them lie “the passions of the common folk.”

Memories abound in the poems. ‘Sweet Childhood Memories’ portrays the poet’s bond with her grandparents, getting wet in the rain and plying paper boats in the puddles, the joy of ice cream and the sweetness of pink cotton candy. ‘Missing You, Mom’ is poignant as she misses her mother every moment, while drinking coffee, during festivals, or in her love of music, books and films. Only memories now.

However, in the poem ‘Fading Footprints’, the poet says, “Your footprints on the sands of time, / Will slowly disappear, fade away.” Since memories will be erased, one should spread joyfulness as long as one lives.

She laments over the years that have been lost in the Pandemic, praying that the world comes back to normal.

While many of the poems contain inspiring messages, there are a few that stand out for their originality. One of my favourites is ‘Trees can Walk and Mountains Can Fly Too’ that describes Dashrath Manjhi, the Mountain man who defied the mountain for 22 years, then made a path through the mountain to help people to reach hospital in time. Likewise, Birnam wood walked to Birmingham, leading to Macbeth’s final defeat. Wonderful feats, making the impossible possible.

‘Blaze’ is another inspiring poem which talks of the blaze that drives great poet saints, martyrs and scientists to enrich humanity.

‘Ocean Asked the Sky’ is a beautiful love story of the ocean pining for the sky, expressing its feelings over their fragile bond.

‘The Wandering Heart’ reminds one of the poem 'Ulysses' – “Old age and this pandemic has limited our lives, / And in these sunset years we yearn for adventure, /We yearn for new experiences “

It is said that writers leave a bit of themselves in their works. This is evident in poems like ‘My Age is Just a Number’ and ‘I Am Still a Child’ where the poet remarks that she is still young at heart, bright and happy.

 “And though my heart flutters like a bird, /My verse is strong and positive, / My lines stand straight/ Like sunflowers looking at the sun.”

The last poem titled ‘Sunset Years’ sums it all up.

“Peace of mind is what I seek, / In the sunset of my life.” Good books, films, music, friends, thoughts good work – these small pleasures leading to ‘Inner Peace’ which serves as the Epilogue of the book.

Some delightful illustrations by the nine-year-old Mihika Gupta and apt photographs further enhance this book of poems that should be read by all those who savour poems that shine with simplicity and fervour.

GIDDHA ON MY GULMOHAR BY CHETNA KEER

 

The red and green cover image leaps out, imbued in joy and festivity, replete with a glorious Gulmohar, and a feisty lady dancing the Giddha with fervour. This sets the tone of the book from the very start.

#ChetnaKeer’s #GiddhaOnMyGulmohar’ is a laugh riot from page one, as her vivacious protagonist in her forties, #Lollita, aka Laasyanga Mansingh, (another amusing story there!) waltzes her way across the pages, striving to write a Wannabe Bestseller. Her gang of friends are equally vibrant with exotic names such as Nazaakat Dutt, Rehmat Anand, Ibaadat Thapar and Krrish Sathe. Not surprisingly, her beloved queen cat called Bholi Punjabban aka Iraa Singh, rules her life.

Just when Lollita thinks of crystallising her dreams, the “uncommonest Party Pooper or Game Changer – Lockdown 1.0” materialises, leaving her “caged in the claustrophobic confines of the concrete jungle called condo life.” Her dreams revolve around being a bestseller author and maybe getting to the Booker Longlist. Winning Kaun Banega Crorepati is her other dream.  She puts her best foot forward to help other writers, a case of always being a bridesmaid, never the bride.

Lollita’s tale is one of aspiration, as the fortyish-year-old yummy mummy prances across the fringes of the literary stage, clad in the most exquisite sarees, cocking a snook at ageism. Even when she asks in secret dread, “Could it be that Ageism is coming in the way?” it is merely a rhetorical question.

Lollita’s character is intricately layered. Her implicit love of the classic writers competes with her admiration of the late bloomer contemporary wordsmiths. She is a woman of many parts – columnist, content writer, poet, online shopper, Netflix-aholic, Rumi fan; the list is open-ended. However, what makes her sparkle is her undimmed optimism that makes her face myriad disappointments, each a pin prick on her path to the “gilt-edged gossamer grandeur feeding her day dreaming.”

Chetna Keer’s strength lies in her vivid imagination and her unusual descriptions, which are often contemporary and relatable. She strews her metaphors about with studied nonchalance, using colloquialisms with perfect ease. However, it is apparent that she chooses her words and phrases with care, so that she can showcase them with maximum effect.

As Lollita sets about “to turn Lockdown into the proverbial Lemonade”, she struts her way across the stage to meet commissioning editors and literary agents, descriptions of whom are highly amusing. The author’s literary craftsmanship comes to the fore as she plays around with words, throwing up a potpourri of similes and figures of speech that make her narrative sparkle. For example:

A landscape which “bore more resemblance to the freckled face of a teeny-bopper, where pimples popping from every pore present an eyesore.”

The description of Peacock Lane’s facades, “leading to a cantankerous stairway that croaked like a frog suffering from laryngitis.”

And again, an alliterative marvel:

“A mantlepiece that was a monument to gilt-edged milestones, filtered through memory’s maple leaves mapping faded seasons…”

I cannot refrain from offering an example of the author’s almost Wodehousian sense of humour as she writes about Shock Absorber Lamba dropping himself into a chair. “This plonking caused the cellulite of his lower anatomy to spill out of the seat’s rim like extra cheese oozing out of a Maharaja Mac burger.”

Another classical touch that stands out is the way the author takes the reader into confidence through her usage of the phrase “my discerning reader”.

When Lollita runs into Ruhaan, an alluring blend of Darcy and Antonio Banderas, who is a photographer and Rumi lover, the author waxes eloquent on Audrey Hepburn, George Peppard, Humphrey Bogart, and their ‘la vie en rose’ moments, turning into the ultimate romantic raconteur. They are two souls in sync during the lockdown:

“When life’s doors were bolted.

When life came home.”

Does Lollita finally have her picture-perfect book launch? Do her dreams come true as alongside the ravishing Rhododendrons, the harbingers of Spring?

“The sight of a scarlet shamiana swathing the valley cast its spell. As much for its suddenness as its splendour.”

Does Lollita get a chance to “rescript her life narrative?”

“Was this the LIGHT at the end of the darkest tunnel of the Tandav that was the Pandemic?”

This book deserves to be read not only for its appealing theme, but for the symbolism, the deep thought and the wordplay that Chetna Keer engages in.

 

#GiddhaOnMyGulmohar #Lollita #DilliHaat #Himalayas #Kasauli

THE MONEY LENDER - MANJU NAMBIAR

 
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Manju Nambiar writes a pithy little book that revolves around a money lender in the state of Kerala, where, under a communist government, the economy suffered. As skilled labourers migrated to the Middle East, a member from almost every family, this particular small town changed its name to ‘Gulf Town’. Money flowed in, and as people became richer, their egos grew, along with their needs. This story is narrated by a prominent person amongst them, the money lender, who found that he could lend money at exorbitant interest rates. “My business grew along with the haughtiness of the Gulf Town”.

The money lender acquired the amusing name of Uncle Scrooge, which quite pleased him as he loved money and felt that the world revolved around it. For that reason alone, he remained a bachelor. This book is a legacy, a collection of his more amusing stories which “reflect our town, our way of living, our thoughts and priorities and our deepest innermost fears.”

In ‘The Brickmaker’, Mr Nair, the brickmaker, back from Dubai, who “had amassed enough wealth and more than enough diseases” and come back to “breathe his home town air for the rest of his life” is the first character in this book. His nephew, Jeevan, is in love with a beautiful dancer, Sheela, but knows his uncle will not approve of her. In what whimsical manner does the money lender handle this situation?

Dr. Vincent Gomez is a respectable Math Professor in the local university with “an account meter running in his head” in the story titled ‘The Professor’. His wife, Mary, is not only the most beautiful woman in the village, but Physics Professor in the same university. Their lovely daughter is an investment banker in a national bank in Qatar. When Mary retires, she began having altercations with her husband. Hence, she decides to go and live with her daughter. A story with an unusual ending!

The next amusing account deals with Mrs. Mahalakshmi Varma who “almost treated her mother in law status as a fulltime career.” ‘The Mother-in-Law’ begins with the hunt for the perfect daughter-in-law. As a result, Naina Nair and Rakesh Varma embark into the holy state of matrimony. Naina visits the moneylender, who describes her as an independent, strong-minded girl. Naina faces problems with her mother-in-law and with her boss, Mr. Menon. Once again, it is the money lender who solves her problem to everyone’s satisfaction.

‘The Cyber Cafe Proprietor’, Kuttan Pillai, is torn between his parents and his love for Alina Muller , a German girl. What happens when he decides to visit her, and experience life in Germany?

The Money Lender’ is a book written in simple English. It deals with an interesting collection of situations and people, accounts compiled by a money lender who believes in the process of making money, but does not wish to lose the things that money can’t buy. If you are looking for a quick delightful read, this is the book for you.

                                                                  Goodreads

HOW DO I DO? ASHA IYER KUMAR

 
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How does the memory of a dream return to an old man, a memory of a “reverie that had once set his youth on fire?”

“Why did the dream materialise again after years in hibernation?”

In the story ‘Calendar Girl’, Madhavan Nair reminisces over his life with his inelegant wife, Rajam, a woman he has never been in love with. Over the decades, he has learnt to live his mundane life with his wife and children, but with the recurrence of the dream, he is forced to linger on the thoughts of the woman of his dreams, and the “vestiges of an old, gnawing sense of deprivation” begin to pierce his heart all over again.

“Chandrika soon became an obsession swathed in mystery.”

When his obsession goes beyond limits, his parents get him married to Rajam, the daughter of a relative. How does Madhavan Nair reconcile between the woman of his dreams and the woman in his hearth?

Do separation and unfamiliarity lead to apprehension in a marriage? How do long-distance marriages survive? After three years of being apart, does a marriage turn incompatible? Or dos the fire get rekindled? These are the questions that worry Nirmal, the protagonist of the second story titled ‘Something In Between’.

                                                             ashaiyerkumar.com

 

 

BHUMI BY TINA SEQUEIRA

 
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“If you are alive, you produce light.” Makosinski

(From the story ‘Switch’)

‘Bhumi’ is an anthology by a bold young writer, Tina Sequeira, who has created a mosaic of stories around strong and intrepid protagonists, mostly women. Her narratives bring out the fact clearly that modern women are no damsels in distress, but are one step ahead always, finding solutions to life’s darkest problems. Understandably, the book was the winner of the Rashtriya Gaurav Award by the Government of Telangana. The foreword by the versatile and prolific writer, Ms. Santosh Bakaya, is yet another reason to look forward to these beautifully written stories.

Hope and resilience are the themes of many of the stories in this anthology, be it ‘Mirror, Mirror on the Wall’ or ‘Fat Chance’. Women who have been hurt or shamed also rise like the phoenix and batter down the walls that have tried to contain them, breaking out in glorious freedom. ‘Climax’ has one such protagonist who picks up the pieces of her life, while ‘Stark Illusions’ teaches the lesson of bouncing back when thrown against the direst of situations.

There are also those fearless women, like the Professor in ‘Juxtaposition’, Dinaz in ‘Pound of Flesh’ and the ‘Unbridled’ Ramona, all of whom go through the travails of life and emerge triumphant at the end of it.

Tina Sequeira’s writing style has a free and unfettered flow to it, like a river that meanders towards the sea. Some examples that are ever so beautiful are found in some of my favourite stories, like the ones below from ‘Grey’.

“Green.

Like the radiant shade of the peacock’s feathers.

Or the thick feathery touch of the grasshopper.

Or moss snug closely to the bottom of the walls.

Or the olive border in Ammamma’s white-bodied sari.”

And again…

“Grey.

Like a big, gentle, and wise elephant.

Or the pearl inside a warm oyster shell.”

The above story reminds me of my own relationship with my grandmother, especially the wonderful quote, “You live life only once. Live it well. Be wild, but also wise.”

Another example is from ‘Crazy Courage’ where Saira who “carried the weather inside her, and made the most of her childhood days, wise enough to know that it would not last too long,” finally weathered the storm by living life on her own terms.

However, if you were to ask me which my favourite stories were, I would without hesitation pick the last story, ‘Bhumi’ and the story that kick starts the entire book ‘Amma’, both stories that prove that sometimes it takes time for love to blossom, but when it does, it is worth the wait.                                                         

As is this book!

 

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