Article on my poetry by Professor Sagar Mal Gupta
Poems and Micropoems: A Sailor’s Arrow That
Creates a Deep Wound
--Sagar Mal Gupta
Prof. R.K Singh, an internationally renowned poet, is a
doyen among the poets of haiku and tanka writers. He has published thirty
poetry books including a dozen haiku and tanka collections in the last forty
years. He has received generous support from poet friends belonging to Romania,
Japan, Taiwan, Syria, Iran, Croatia, China, and a few others. His poetry has
been translated into different languages, which is quite creditable.
His awards and honours include Ritsumeikan University
Peace Museum Award, Kyoto 1999, Certificate of Honour and Nyuusen Prize,
Kumamoto, 2000 and 2008. It is an honour not only for Prof. Singh but for the
whole country that he was honoured for Japanese poetry by Japanese experts in
the art of haiku and tanka poetry.
His recent poetry collections that have drawn
international attention are Growing
Within/Desăvârşire lăuntrică (English/Romanian, 2017), Tainted With Prayers/Contaminado con
oraciones (English/Spanish, 2019), Silencio: Blanca Desconfianza:
Silence: White Distrust (Spanish/English, Kindle, 2021), A Lone Sparrow:Haiku Poems (English/Arabic,
2021), Against The Waves:
Selected Poems (2021), Covid-19
And Surge of Silence/Kovid-19 Hem Sessízlík Tolkȋnȋ (English/Tatar, 2021), 白濁: SILENCE: A WHITE DISTRUST (English/Japanese, 2022), Changing
Seasons: Collected Tanka and Haiku (English/Arabic,
2021), Lantern In The
Sky: Selected Haiku (English/French, 2022), SHE: Haiku Celebrating Woman That
Makes Man Complete (Arabic Haiku Club, 2022), and Drifty Silence (2023).
The book Poems
and Micropoems contains thirty-five regular poems, eighty
haiku and forty-four tanka. It is not possible to make a critique of all these
poems in this article, but some of them can be taken up. It would not be out of
place to start the critique with a favourite poem of Prof. R.K. Singh in which
he expresses a sense of disillusionment and a resignation to the fact that
there is no escape from the less pleasant aspects of life:
The frog in mirror
slips by damp towel
cold sets in slippy hands
rain flows on windows
black water crawls down
like diseased reptiles
why scrub the smelly
underbellies
there’s no paradise
(Poem #29. Sense
and Silence: Collected Poems, 70-71)
Professor Singh writes on different topics, mostly on
abstract emotions and nature. Out of his three types of poetry in this
collection, his haikus are taken up first. Haiku is a short poem which uses
imagistic language to convey the essence of an experience of nature or the
season intuitively linked to the human condition. It consists of three lines,
the first line having 5 syllables, the second seven syllables, and the third five
syllables. But many contemporary poets sometimes take liberty with this
syllable structure.
In the analysis of haiku in this book, only six haiku and
comment on them are taken up, which will indicate the richness of his remaining
haiku. Consider the following haiku:
they watch from the street
our embrace at the window
sneak into liquor (51)
This haiku creates a sense of intimacy and privacy
suggesting a sense of voyeurism or intrusion. A vivid image is created by
detail, window and liquor. Look at the following haiku:
people trust
what utopia looks like:
lighted banks of Saryu (58)
This haiku highlights human nature and a human desire for
a perfect world. The mention of ‘lighted bank of Saryu’ paints a vivid picture
of a beautiful and peaceful place which could represent the ideal world that
people yearn for. The use of the word ‘trust’ suggests that people have faith
in the vision of utopia and see it as something to attempt for. Let us take
another haiku:
on his epitaph:
he died protesting land tax
on his grave (58)
The person referred to in this haiku was actively engaged
in an organized effort to challenge the land tax. The epitaph suggests that
protest is shown as part of their identity. The epitaph commemorates their
activism.
Summer days are full of warmth, activity and the
pleasures of being close to nature. The vivid image of this is mentioned in
this haiku:
mid-June morning-
the gardener’s muddy fingers
scratch the itching scalp (49)
The first line of the following haiku shows a luxurious
bathroom. The presence of beetles in a clean bathroom is because of neglect or
a lack of maintenance. The third line creates a mood of stillness and
gloominess. The bathroom may not be well ventilated. The text of the haiku
shows a sense of contrast and unease:
one with granite tub
a beetle in the bathroom-
silence of dampness (49)
The following haiku
threatening rain
dark clouds hang over still trees-
smelly clothesline (49)
effectively captures the mood of an approaching storm and
the way it affects our senses and surroundings. It depicts a vivid image of an
impending storm. The imagery of ‘dark clouds’ hanging over a clothesline has
started to smell a mood of unease.
The question arises why the discussion of haiku is taken
first. A statement from Prof. R.K. Singh’s interview with Khalil A
Jomma (WEC:
13:1, March 2023, 92-99) can be quoted here. Prof. Singh states:
“I view haiku writing as something innately spiritual,
with sensuousness as the key factor; looking outside to communicate the inside;
expressing the unity of human being with all existence; imaging life in all its
hues- from physical lust to divine sensation… (93).
He further says that haiku has a lot of possibilities if
the poet has a sense of proportion, or harmony, the expressive side of language
or rhythm which permeates the words (94).
Let us now discuss a few tanka, another distinguished
poetic form of Japanese poetry. A tanka is an ancient Japanese form of poetry
that is categorized by the number of syllable in each line, totalling
thirty-one syllables. Tanka translates as ‘short song’ and is better known in
its five line 5/7/5/7/7 syllable count form. There are forty four tanka
poems in this collection.
late night-
not many drink
at home
wait for the end
the bed sinks the body (62)
This refers to two different times of a day, the morning
and late night, people are active and awake, perhaps getting ready for
the day. The late night moves very slowly and fewer people are drinking and
waiting for the night to end. The phrase ‘drink for the end’ is significant,
suggesting that the people are trapped in the cycle of drinking and waiting for
something to happen.
what poem can brew
on faces hidden behind
veils misty eyes say
all I can’t image in
haiku with season word (62)
It looks like a fragmented description of some sort of a
scene. The phrase ‘brew on faces hidden behind veils’ suggests some sort of a
mysterious image. The phrase ‘misty eyes’ suggests uncertainty. This
means the poem is describing a moment of uncertainty or confusion. The
poem seems to suggest a hidden emotional or psychological state.
Some tanka poems are very easy to understand. Consider
the following tanka describing the onset of winter season and its accompanying
illness:
winter arrives with
wheezing sneezing and backache
whole night without sleep
I try pills to get better
lamenting ageing and pray (64)
The person referred to in the poem is an old man who
tries to assuage his illness by taking pills and praying to God for the
riddance. Look at another tanka:
no temple
this body degenerates
memory fades
stinking remains
can’t forget all (65)
Generally the body is believed to be a temple in
which the soul lives. But with the passage of time, the body degenerates and
memories become dim. But a person can’t forget everything, some bad happenings
lurk behind.
Prof. Singh does not always write on abstract topics.
Sometimes his tanka is about social issues. In the following tanka, he very
poignantly describes the poverty of a person who collects warm ashes to find
gold so that he could provide liquor for himself and bread for the starving
wife and children:
Manikarnika:
he collects warm ashes
searching gold to live
by country liquor or bread
for starving wife or children (62)
Notice the irony in the poem that the poor person does
not forget buying liquor for himself without caring that no money would be left
to buy bread for the family.
There are some more tanka referring to the social issues
of dissent being regarded anti national and competition between hungry people
pushing one other for a pail of rice:
anti-national
every dissenting voice-
lotus regime
bullying the generation
with changing narratives (70)
and-
no firsts in hunger:
they all push one another
for a pail of rice
to cook without fire, roof and
utensils lost in landslide (70)
The discussion of micro poems corroborates the saying
that brevity is the soul of wit. From the analysis of micro poems to the
discussion of poems would be a logical step. Thirty five poems in the
collection are on different themes, from Nature, Love, Azaan, Temple,
Meditation to a number of different topics. We shall discuss only a few poems
in this article.
Consider this poem on ‘Nature’:
Nature is me
seeking my place
in the star through births
now memory
wild maze of conceit
and darkness
yet a tiny part
a dew drop
dotted with beauty (Nature is Me, 10)
The poem offers a relationship with the natural world. In
spite of uncertainties and challenges in life, there is a deep connection and
sense of belonging that is found in the natural world.
The lines ‘now memory/ wild maze of conceit/ and
darkness’ create a sense of confusion and disorientation as if the
speaker is lost in a complex and uncertain world. Even in this darkness, there
is a recognition of beauty and wonder as suggested by the delicate and powerful
image of ‘a tiny part/a dew drop dotted with beauty’.
From ‘Nature’, we move to ‘Love’ poem:
Rocking chair:
sun through the clouds in
verandah
after days of rain
and nostalgic nights
she hands me
a lukewarm tea of
ginger clove
and honey to make
love and stay alive (Love, 35)
The poem describes a beautiful scene of a couple enjoying
a moment of love and nostalgia on a rocking chair on the verandah, after days
of rain. The description of the warm and soothing ginger, clove and honey
concoction adds a touch of sensuality and intimacy to the poem.
The juxtaposition of love and the need to stay alive
suggest the importance of finding comfort and support in a partner during
difficult times. The imagery of the warm drink can also be interpreted as a
metaphor for the warmth and comfort that love provides.
Let us now move to the poem ‘Love by Default’ from ‘Love’
poem:
When you deny love lies in fucking you cheat
millions of starving lovers smelling sex
in each encounter or dating a woman
whose hunger is different each time she meets man
to say the unsaid or live the fleeing joy
or weep longingly recall
the days gone by
or rue only if it were as it once was
lying on his back like whales he lets the ships pass
and clasps a drowning one as he gasps for air
and she yields her body to love by default (Love by Default, 14)
The poem presents a complex and nuanced exploration of
love and its many challenges. The language is poetic and evocative and the use
of metaphor and imagery adds depth and richness to the piece.
The idea of loving by default suggests a setting less
than ideal relationship because the lovers have no other choice.
The image of a whale letting ships pass by and gasping
for air suggests a sense of resignation and defeat. ‘To say the unsaid or live
the fleeing joy/ or weep lovingly recall the days gone by/ or rue
only if it was as it once was’ suggests a sense of nostalgia or longing for a
past relationship.
The lines ‘when you deny love lies in fucking you cheat/
millions of starving lovers smelling sex’ refer to someone engaged in
infidelity and a sense of desperation and longing. The lines ‘in each encounter
or dating a woman/ whose hunger is different each time she meets man’ refers to
a woman who is constantly changing and adapting to the men she meets.
Let us analyze the poem ‘Locked’:
Eagle’s shadow
on the still boat on bank
blank page of tomb
that sank without history
of women who anchored
life now locked within
sandy rocks disguising faith
in phallic images
drunken politics
of carving and curving
on the potter’s wheel (Locked, 15)
The poem refers to the issues related to power, gender
and history in a thought provoking and challenging way.
The first two lines ‘Eagle’s shadow on the still boat on
bank’ suggest a sense of stillness and inactivity. The lines- ‘blank page of
tomb that sank without history’- refer to forgotten history and absence of
women’s stories. The lives ‘of women who anchored life now locked within sand
rocks suggests the suppression of women power.
The lines ‘faith in phallic images, drunken politics, of
carving and curving, on the potter’s wheel’ suggest patriarchal power
structures and ways in which they enforce rigid gender roles and social norms.
A temple is a sacred place of worship but some selfish
people use it for their benefit to earn money. Consider this poem:
Known a man of his word
before exiting the windowless hall
scrawls his bearded sinisterity
none could read: he proves a rhino
turning the temple into funeral home (Temple, 30)
This poem presents a dark and ominous picture of a
powerful man (‘a rhino’), who has corrupted a sacred place. This suggests that
religion can be used to serve the interests of individuals rather than the
general good.
Look at the description of the man. He had a sinister
appearance (‘bearded sinisterity’) and had the power of turning a sacred place
into a place of mourning or death. The irony of the situation is that none
could comprehend or foresee his intentions. The use of the metaphor ‘a funeral
home’ is quite effective.
Like a temple, ‘azaan’ is a holy duty for the followers
of Islam. But the sacred mosque may not be holy always: they may be a mix of
holy and profane, and ancient and modern. Consider the following poem:
Precarious
at the threshold of sleep
the azaan
only a deprived
muezzin knows
behind the mosque
the peepal guards
mafia mansion
in lantern light
god’s business (Azaan, 29)
This poem conveys a sense of precariousness or
instability with the speaker perceiving a complex mix of the sacred and the
profane; the traditional and the modern, the holy and the corrupt. The poem can
also be interpreted as a comment on the illicit activities happening in the
vicinity of the mosque.
The phrase the ‘threshold of sleep’ refers to the verge
of falling asleep. The caller of ‘Azaan’ (known as muezzin) has been described
as very poor which adds poignancy to the poem.
We are now going to discuss a poem which describes a
sense of isolation and the struggle for human connection in a difficult world:
It’s no paradise
but sounds filter upwards
from small Smondo shops
live-in couples in Neotown
share thrills of touch and hug
older couples miss
while walking or watching
alone from windows
gauge their depth of feelings
and monetary wellness (Wellness, 25)
This poem depicts a scene in a place called Neotown where
people live in close proximity to one another in small shops and apartments.
But still people struggle with feelings of loneliness and yearn for physical
touch and hug. The language used is descriptive and straightforward.
Prof. Singh’s poetry sometimes also writes about
political issues. Here is a poem which calls for a more open and
inclusive politics based on mutual respect and commitment rather than a narrow
nationalism that divides people:
Is nationalism Hindutva
or right reactionaryism
for political security
of the likes of Modis, Xis, Putins
that play games of disorder
with a Biden and dictate
new rhetoric of regression and repression
at home the hope and hysteria
is dying and no Ayodhya
Mathura or Gyanvapi can win
votes of loyals and traitors
without mutual right to exist
without obscurantism and reform
parody of promises (Parody, 23)
The poem is a critique of nationalist politics and its
leaders such as Modi, Putin and Xi, who are accused of playing games of
disorder and promising regression and repression. The poet suggests that ‘hope
and hysteria’ these leaders rely on to win votes is dying out and even
controversial issues of Ayodhya, Mathura and Gyanvapi cannot win the vote
without a commitment to mutual respect and reform.
The use of language in the poem is quite critical with
words like ‘loyals and traitors’, ‘obscurantism and parody of promises,’
suggesting a deep sense of cynicism about the ability of nationalist politics
to deliver on its promises.
Here is another poem which conveys a sense of frustration
and disillusionment with the current state of affairs but also a sense of
determination to continue moving forward despite the difficulties.
With structural corruption
embedded in system
who can change
the future course:
in their stinking nests
the owls and rats plan for
booster shots, just in case...
dooms day is a long dream
the pandemic cements
differences for eon
standing before a narrow spine
the dead claim the summit
without reaching the top
I don’t know how to set down
my burden and move ahead (Just in Case…, 28)
The phrase ‘structural corruption’ refers to the
corruption ingrained in the system. The protagonist expresses his hopelessness
at his capacity to change the corrupt society. The use of ‘owls and rats’
refers to those who are powerful and hence they care only for boosting their
positions rather than tackling the problems at hand. ‘Dooms day’ refers to the
impending danger but a crisis cements the differences and inequalities in
society for a brief period of time and later it suggests that we don’t reach
the top. The protagonist ends the poem with a sense of despair in the face of
difficulties.
In the preceding paragraphs, a brief analysis of Prof.
Singh’s poems and micro poems have been made. They are so full of rich meaning
that a book can be written on their analysis. Professor Singh’s poems are
‘sagar in gagar’ (an ocean in a pot), they are rich in content; have density of
meaning; are like ‘a sailor’s arrow that creates a deep wound’. His poems are
like a deep ocean in which the more you dive, the more pearls you discover. The
language and style are simple but deep in meaning. Most of his poems are on
abstract thoughts but there are poems which describe the present day issues
facing the country. The imagery is new and refreshing. Kudos to the poet!
Work Cited:
Ram Krishna Singh. Poems and Micropoems. Sierra Vista,
Arizona: Southern Arizona Press, 2023. Pages: 78. Price: $7.24 / Rs. 475/-.
ISBN: 978-19600-380-81
R.K.Singh. Sense
and Silence: Collected Poems. Jaipur: Yking Books, 2010. ISBN
978-81-910588-2-6
R.K.Singh. A Dialogue between Prof. Ram Krishna Singh
& Arabic Poet Translator Khalil A Jomaa. WEC: 13:1, March 2023, 92-99
About the Author:
Prof. (Dr) Sagar Mal Gupta (Born: 1940) was educated at
Edinburgh University in the UK and at the University of Hawaii in the US from
where he earned his Ph.D in Linguistics. His poems have been published in IJES(2015), IJELLS (2015), Literaria
Linguistica (2016) , Muse India
(2016, 2017, 2018), Café Dissensus
(New York, 2017), The Ghazal Page
(New York, 2017, 2018), Poetcrit
(July 2018 & Jan 2019) and The New
Ink Review (Zambia, August 2018), Langlit
(Sept. 2019 ), CLRI(2019, Vol6.3). He
has two collection of poems— The Crescent Moon (2018) and The Songs of India and the World (2019)
to his credit. He resides at 69/81, V.T. Road, Mansarovar, Jaipur-302020 and
can also be contacted through email: guptasag69@gmail.com.
posted by Ram Krishna Singh at 12:38 AM
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