Tainted With Prayers reviewed in Setu, April 2020

https://www.setumag.com/2020/04/tainted-with-prayersexposing-lifes.html?fbclid=IwAR1-vh4iqjuaeRz7yN_pQbVY3SUySC-GdyqE8D70pmBmu4q4eb6wQ7vV8k4

Tainted with Prayers—Exposing Life’s Various Layers!

Authors: Ram Krishna Singh, Joseph Berolo

Country Published: India.

Copyright: 2019

Date Published: December 22, 2019

Languages: English by Ram Krishna Singh, India

Languages: Spanish by Joseph Berolo, Columbia

Sold by: Amazon.com Services LLC.

Publisher:  Editorial Ave Viajera SAS

ISBN 13: 978-1650109237

Pages:  78

Paper Back: $19.00                                            

Kindle Version: $0.00

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Joseph S. Spence, Sr.

Reviewer: - Joseph S. Spence, Sr.

Introduction

Professor Ram Krishna Singh is a brilliant poet and an eminent scholar. He begins this excellent book with a great comment regarding Diwali, the most representative festival in India. Such an awesome celebration filling the night with glorious lights of illumination never seen before. This continues for five days, where Hindus celebrate victory of good over evil at the “Festival of Lights.” An eloquent event which is needed, and resonating goodness in the hearts of everyone. In correlation, this book indicates, “Now is the time for poetry to be a therapeutic tool with a taste of goodness to humanity.” Such a taste, which does not have any negative effect, but only nourishment, redeeming values, and saving grace. This is an inspirational healing of the spirit, through poetry by driving out evil existing in the soul and body of individuals, where goodness is reminiscent of Diwali, and its principles regarding life’s goodness and victory over evil.

This excellent book is written in English by Professor Ram Krishna Singh, and translated into Spanish by Joseph Berolo. Based on my knowledge of Spanish, and reading of such, an exceptional translation was done on each of the poems. Berolo, like myself, was also moved by the sensual and spiritual essence of the poems. The fluidity of the poetic verses, proliferates personification of the poems flowing with much grace like healing water, with realistic idiomatic sinuosity and imagination. The brevity, and vastness of interpretation of the words scribed by our illustrious author, stimulate growth for the existence of humanity in special ways.

The first poem, “New Dawn,” expresses his love for the night, when sleeplessness yield to passion of the body. This results in the melting of ageing fears, for the beauty of a new dawn. Such excellent thoughts of love and affection, occurring before the sparkling orange and red rays of an eloquent sun crests the morn, of blue sky with white billowing clouds, with its inspirational beauty, uplifts numerous souls with pleasurable endearingness.

He continues with the poem “Blasphemy,” which begins by stating, “We have lived many deaths, and are now afraid to live.” This is a result of the terrible ruins in and around us, where raging fire of voices grows stronger and spreads. This result in the lack of dreaming and visualizing a new picture of the world. Such reflection of thoughts, sends a vivid image of, “It’s no use flying high because the sky seems shattered, and the city is haloed with blasphemy from saints.” His words and images in this poem, remind us of the book, “Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe, Nigerian professor and poet. It’s translated into 45 languages, with over 10-million copies sold. Some of the themes are: changes in the status quo, stereotype challenges, experiences of cultures, and uplifting life’s imaginations—"Such Striking Sights!”

The next poem, “Ritual” is very illuminating, and speaks to the essence of many supposed leaders. Excerpts follow:

            Hiding helplessly in the luxury of prayers

            He raises a wall a babel of deception

            Through cocktail of drugs and desires

            Wakes up to unheard alarms

            Repeating rituals of shame ageing time

Here we see our distinguished author in deep contemplation dealing with images and perceptions of, “It’s not to be, and should not take place.”  He would rather see life without such rituals involving drugs and desires. His expectation, is not of one meandering through life like in a bad dream; thus, winding up as lost sheep walking aimlessly around.

The pages move to the next poem “Death of Desire.” Here one is able to see clearly how evening walks within the lanes and byways of body harmony, which is supposed to bring a sense of calmness, does not materialized. It’s eventually disturbed and turned into debates from television, and serial news, regarding temporal things of distorted wholesomeness. Such disturbing events eventually require swallowing of pills, as a quest to mitigate rising hackles, which involves walking through death’s desire to be in bed—"Such Sickening Situations!”

The next poem “Debris of Dreams” speaks to the importance of not allowing others to corrupt one’s mind with their antics. Excerpts follow:

            It’s near but

            Everyplace has a distance

            And people too

            They flee to see

            Me in their vicinity

            Sense of anger

            Down to smallness

            They hate only themselves

            The debris of dreams they leave

            I must erase and be at peace

These are the kind of events one sees evolving in our common era. Where we find people distancing themselves and not wanting to belong. Their actions of negatively toward others display self-made misery. Such wanton rage has brought them down to the smallness of hate, reflecting only from themselves. When facing a situation of this nature, the mind, body and soul now have the quest of positively to erase such lunacy, and remnants of debris from ones’ dreams to abide in ultimate peace and accord.

Sticking with the subject of dreams, the next poem “Dreams of Clay,” raise questions regarding existence of things that should not be.  Excerpts are as follow:

            They make my face

            Ugly in my own sight

            There is not beauty, nor holiness left

            The hinges of doors moan

            Politics of corruption

            I weep for names and faces defaced

            With clay dreams.

Here our eminent author, states his mind on what he does not like that’s existing in his sight. He questions the desire to even look in the mirror. He is afraid of what he may see of himself caused by others. He does not feel there is any beauty or holiness left and the nation is naked. He sees streams flowing in darkness. Political corruption resulting in moaning, even with the motion of opening a door. There exists weeping for defaced faces like rigid shattering of clay in a dream. Naturally, there are visions to change this situation of life. He realizes, one is able to do so with creativity and ability, while molding the situation making it better.

On the next page we find the poem, “Gourmet Journey.” This poem addresses the kind of events we see daily in political situations. It started by illustrating, how others win elections, with the practice of sponsoring chaos chanting. The objective is to kill tongues uttering dissent in the form of righteousness, opposing such foolishness. As a result, many closed their windows, allowing the essence of dysfunctionalism to be the holy constitution. Allowing, such displeasing situations to be the norm. These actions foster into small deities of tango with collaborations invading newer territories; thus, becoming the status quo. The ensuing reality, allows a variety of dreams to rise and sell, as political posturing and pleasing, feet moving forward and minds backward, as they relish lies of gourmet journey with their passion of discontent— “Flagrantly Transforming Fear Festering.”

The next poem “Aftermath” shows another phase of disruptiveness to humanity. Selected Excerpts follow:

            Between mossy and thronged pathways shadows slant

            Wisdom splashes in gonzo arguments, as a rooster walk

            Others feel the sting but prefer silence

            Like caged parrot’s free to shame from decades groomed

            Hey know how weak they are to stop the burning

            Aberrations clot in their minds

            The wounded converts

            Counting cries form lashes and piercing

Here our illustrious author, tells the truth of situations others find themselves residing with in their daily lives. Their voices are silent and afraid to speak, like their tongues taken out and now dumb. They are forced to accept the existing conditions. These individuals are not like the poets arriving with a therapeutic tool for humans to taste goodness, knowing it does not hurt, and is not flattering. In actuality, they fail to realize poetic essence only incorporates nourishment of the spirit, redeems lives, and saves the body and soul from being controlled by evil. Unfortunately, their sight does not allow them to see, how poetic words fill lives with melodious echoes of peace and spiritual harmony as body therapy. They experienced such negative conditions daily in life, without any thoughts of eventual poetic essence and liberation.

The next poem “Intellectuals” reflects the emerging era. One must be cognizant of the environment, and who is teaching ethics, integrity, and related subjects of progress. It begins by addressing the issue of being stranded in the past. Actually, governed by supposed intellectuals, with glasses in hands, preaching ancient wisdom to a modern generation. Some diving nude into dried pools, while corralling others along. Many now sit by the fence, polishing their reduced and diffused visions, reflecting on minimal value, and buffing such distorted knowledge for the next day’s session—"Such Sunrise Slaughtered Sheep!”

The final poem to review in the awesome book of Tainted with Prayers is “Liberation.” Selected excerpts follow:

            Away from home in academics, sex, philosophy and religion

            I’ve been skeptical about these years, hell reveals in lost memories

            Couldn’t be new dialect for spring

            Fears are not bread from heaven

            Yet the eagles fly with wide eyes

            Nose opened to stinking patches

            Mandates for dream wrapped in nightmares

            Praying for liberation and decay with divinity

Here our recognized author paints a clear picture of reality on several university and college campuses, while away from home. He sees his dreams as nightmares still wondering in his mind as fires, with no heat or light. They only exist as sterile emotions, making their presence dark and absent. The resonating mud and ghost bewilderment, leave him preying for liberation and decay with divinity—"Supreme Spiritual Insight!”

Conclusion

This dynamic book reflecting realistic essence of life ends with a collection of notes and opinions regarding the inspiration, skill, knowledge, and ability of our prestigious author. Some are as follows: “[This] is not only existential, but metaphysics and sensual denouncement of exile from a world that has been stolen from poets, and worldwide humanity” (Christina Montero, Argentina). “A true poet is a poet without boarder as he echoes the innate sensibility, desires and angst of human being that often transcend time, race, and medium…poetry resonate at a universal wavelength and can connect with the sensitive souls the world over” (Dr. C. L. Khatri, TPS College, Patna, Bihar, India).  “Ram Krishna Singh is a true poet. Not one to rest in the knowledge, him being a lyrical poet like none, he also has a work ethic like few….” (Spiros Zafiris). “[This is such] a unique collection of poetry which implicitly assists the reader to find the right path through the enigmatic maze between life and reality” (Munia Khan, Author of, To Evince the Belu). “[Starting] from the first line of every poem, the poet’s wit, unfailingly, unleashes the reader into a different plane of existence and fluid flow…having tasted the gentlest expressions of the rising star in rebellion against the mundanity till the last drop of dying desire….” (Varsha Vijay, Suecia).

There exists various use of English literary principles outlined in this wonderful book of realism. Some include: metaphor and simile for distinctive comparison, couplet poetry form of two lines, narrative forms of continuous lines without stanza breaks, analogy which shows similarity between two things, imagery which allows readers to see and feel the meaning of the poetic words, haiku styles of poetry as stanzas, and other variations.

Waiting to get this eloquently expressed poetry book after reading this review, is an injustice to one’s self. Now is the time to act, by obtaining a copy and expand the power of the mind, body and soul, through reading the stimulating essence of reality unleashed in this book, through poetry by our esteemed author, Ram Krishna Singh, and translated into Spanish by Joseph Borolo!

About The Author

Our valiant author, Dr. Ram Christina Singha (December 31, 1950-), Varanasi, India, earned his B. A. in 1970, and M.A. in English literature, Banaras University, 1972, and a Ph.D., Kashi Vidyapith, Varanasi, 1981. Additionally, he obtained a diploma in Russian during 1972.

He started his career in journalism, as a compilation officer with the District Gazetteers Department, Lucknow, 1973, and as a journalist with Press Trust of India, New Delhi, 1973-1974. Thereafter, he became a lecturer at the Royal Bhutan Polytechnic, Deothang, Bhutan, 1974-1976. He joined the Indian School of Mines in Dhanbad as a lecturer from 1976-1983, and subsequently was promoted to assistant professor in 1983. He served as professor of English with the Department of Humanities and Social Science, Dhanbad, beginning in 1993, and retired as a professor in December 2015. He is highly recognized in English for Specific Purposes, from India, and has evaluated over forty Ph.D. theses from a variety of universities.

Some of his literary activities include the following authorship:  writing of over 160 researched articles, 170 book reviews, 40 books, and published in over 150 anthologies. His editorial activities in guest editing include: language forums during 1986, 1995, and creative forums in 1991, 1997, and 1998. He served as the general editor for Creative Forum New Post Series, editorial board for Canopy, Indian Book Chronicles, Indian Journal of Applied Linguistics, Reflections, Titiksha, International Journal of Translation, Poetcrit, Impression of Eternity, and SlugFest. His poems have been translated in: French, Spanish, Romanian, Chinese, Serbian, Croatian, Slovene, Japanese, Bulgarian, German, Italian, Portuguese, Greek, Crimean Tatar, Arabic, Farsi, Esperanto, Kannada, Tamil, Hindi, Punjabi, Telugu, and Bangla.

Dr. Singh is also known as R. K. Singh, a prominent Indian English haiku genre poet. Some of his known publications are: Every Stone Drop Pebbles (1999), Pending Dreams, part of a trilogy collection in English and Italian, Pacem in Terris, written jointly with Myriam Pierri and Giovanni Campisi (2003), The River Returns (2006),  Sense and Silence: Collected Poems (2010), New and Selected Poems: Tanka and Haiku (2012), I Am No Jesus: and others selected poems in Tanka and Haiku (English/Crimean/Tatar 2014), God Too Awaits Light (Cholla Neddles, September 2017), and Growing Within: A Bilingual English and Romanian Collection (Constanta: Anticus Press).  He uses mystical elements, involving emergent social and political consciousness, to validate and exemplify his haiku practice in India. Additionally, he developed his own Indian kigo, images, and experiences in haiku practice, and does not differentiate between the practice and writing of haiku and senryu poems.

Setu, April 2020