My Love Tanka published in The Eurozine

 My Love Tanka appear in The Erozine,  Issue 08, June 28, 2024

https://theerozine.com/ram-krishna-singh/

Poem published in Kelaino

 My poem published in Kelaino (Athens), Apri-May-June 2024

Egyptian haiku poet, translator and critic, Hosni Altohami translates my haiku

 

warblers fly back

seeing the soft-stepping cats

in the grassy yard

--R K Singh

عودة  الطيور المغردة 

القطط ذات الخطى الناعمة 

في الساحة العشبية

--Hosni Altohami 

Haiku in Puddock

 My haiku appears in PUDDOCK Haiku Journal (Scotland), 24 June 2024

a drop embedded 

in the half-opened bud--

winter morning 

--R K Singh 

Taro Hokkyo translates the haiku into Japanese:

Basema Alawwam translates the haiku in Arabic:

قطرة محضونة 

في برعم نصف متفتح 

كالصباح في الشتاء

Trans. By: Basema Alawwam 

Boubaker Rouagha also translates the haiku in Arabic:

قطرة مدمجة 

 في البرعم نصف المفتوح 

 صباح الشتاء

Haiku published in ZBORNIK Anthology

 My two haiku published in Haiku ZBORNIK Anthology   2024

R. K. Singh’s Knocking Vistas and Other Poems: Article by Ghanishtha Verma

 

KNOCKING VISTAS AND OTHER POEMS BY R. K. SINGH

 

       -Ghanishtha Varma

 

Ghanishtha Verma is a PhD research scholar at Binod Bihari Mahto Koyalanchal University, Dhanbad, Jharkhand, India. She also works as a freelance writer for Reviews, a print-cum-online magazine (http://thereviewsindia.co.in). Her poems and book reviews have appeared in Reviews and Das Literarisch.

 

no use writing more

to reveal my meanings:

brief is beautiful

to make an eternity…

 

(R.K.Singh, On His Suggestion To Write A Memoir)

 

 Knocking Vistas and Other Poems (2024) by Ram Krishna Singh vouches for the poet’s expertise and experience in his craft. It is his latest poetry book, which consists of 34 regular poems and over 250 micro poems, mainly haiku and tanka, in an experimental mode. It is a journey, a voyage into the realms of the human heart and mind, the natural world, and the spaces in between. The poet’s genius lies in expressing himself through precise and tricky use of words.

In this collection Singh explores the myriad possibilities of existence with the amalgamation of blessings and adversities. This includes longing for the past, wobbly politics, monotonous life, pain, love, sex, creation, nature, and evils such as witchcraft and injustices of all sorts.  

The work comes out as highly experimental in the process of meaning-making. Stylistically, the intentional omission of comma and full stop (and use of double space instead of commas) bestow readers with the opportunity to create his/her own rhythm and meaning of the poem. Readers can choose his or her own pauses according to their understanding, and make meaning. The poet, an internationally recognized voice in haiku and tanka writing from India, has also confidently and successfully experimented with the traditional Haiku and Tanka forms. He writes free-form haiku and tanka, in varying syllable counts, as in “wintered sadness/ different dimensions-/ nature’s cycle/ unable to cope/ Zen meditation” (‘Knocking Vistas’, p. 59). Further, the enjambed lines in most of the poems heighten the sense of urgency and also help in creation and continuation of rhythm.

The book begins with the poem ‘One More Poem’ in an oxymoronic tone, suggesting rejection of nostalgia and disengagement with future and ends with parallelism emphasizing on creation.  The first person speaker of the poem whispers in the ears of the reader that he does not long for the past, but the past ‘swings and rings.’  Nor is he worried about his future for which he is deliberately making ‘empty wishes prayers and meditation’ which contradicts the earlier assertion of not caring for the past and future. The use of present tense in the poem makes it more relatable to the reader, making them engage in contemplation.

Poems on Politics

There are several poems on politics. Politics is an opportunity for politicians to lead, guide and bring development for people. It is to enhance democracy which is a government ‘of the people, by the people and for the people’. Politics and democracy aim at uniting people, transforming society, respecting people and providing equal rights and opportunities for citizens of a country.  But unfortunately, present day politics has degraded to a mere profit-making business in the hands of populist leaders who are fuelling hatred, division and destruction.

Through the poems like ‘Consecration’ (p. 14), ‘War in Gaza’ (p. 17), ‘Politics of Deception’ (p. 18), ‘Eternal Terror’ (p. 21) etc., the poet gives us the picture of the political scenario of the world. He rejects the politics of hatred in the guise of the shabby cloak of religion.

In ‘Consecration’, the poet questions the “consecration on the ruins” reflecting on the events happening in the country.

The poet does not take any side but subtly interrogates and condemns destruction and ‘wounded humanity’ in his poem ‘War in Gaza’. He is hopeful about the rebuilding of Gaza and its coexistence with Israel. He writes:

“Cursed Gaza awaits

a miracle to rise a new phoenix

to exist with Israel

despite the devil’s designs

For perpetual desolation”

The cynical tone of the poem ‘Politics of Deception’ draws on manipulation for political profit of leaders. The images of ‘roaring guns,’ ‘flying bombs,’ ‘total death on earth’ in the poem suggest the hanging of the sword of Damocles over the head of humanity. Also, the metaphor of ‘sun of science’ warns about the slippery nature of science.

Environmental Issues

The concern for the environment has drawn attention around the globe. Human activities harming nature is not a sudden crisis. The rise of industries and the pollution it causes in the name of development have been a major concern.

This concern for the environment is captured in the poem ‘Loss.’ The ecological exigency has further been connected with the interrogation of power and politics for their act of silencing. The images of ‘chimneys’, ‘black spots’, ‘smoke’, ‘wildfires’, ‘gas emission’ in the poem put emphasis on the degradation of the natural world.  Singh questions the larger silence, as he writes:

“they have their priorities

mission to rewrite histories

…

climate change is no excuse

to mould the mind of Gen-Z

in face of imminent doom:

stay quiet at morass of loss”

Women’s Exploitation

In this collection, the poem ‘Cry of a Mother’ resonates with women’s issues, mainly gender and sex. The poem is basically a reflection on the condition of women in India and elsewhere. The metaphorical use of the word ‘clitoris’ underscores women—half of the population is simply ignored. No one wants to talk about them­­, neither lovers nor doctors. “Why do they ignore the clitoris when half of the world has it? / the lovers don’t care  the doctors don’t talk”. The ignorance or denial of the existence of women, or the refusal to empathize with their dreams and desires are not a natural process like that of a leaf but is an ill-constructed male practice.  The reference to the chocolate, “a chocolate remedy,” is an allusion to the novel, Chocolat (1999) by Joanne Harris which talks about the emancipation of women by drawing a contrast between pleasure and denial. Notably, the novel was adapted for an award-winning film with the same title in 2000. Singh writes:

“denial is the way of the life

be it desire emotion or frailty

for conformity unity and control”

Moreover, the image of ‘redness’ of the sun suggests the intensity or passionate nature which juxtaposes it with the image of ‘drab colours’ of the clothing of priests. This is suggestive of resistance of incorrectly accused practices such as  witchcraft against the narrow mindedness of religious authority. He writes: “who accuse of heresy witchcraft or immortality/ to shut the so called hotbeds of sedition”.  The poem ends with the images of resistance against the dominating male attitude that  forces ‘spinning wheel’ of women, their daily domestic chores and family responsibilities, and their love and sex,  ultimately “condemned to nursing home” to suffer in loneliness. The first line and the last line join together to build the argument of the poem. 

Also, a support for the criticism of the Pope can be found in the poem ‘Love.’ The poem seems to be is inspired by Sharon Olds’ short poem ‘The Pope’s Penis’. The rejection of old conventions and establishment is presented through clever wordplay in the poem. The speaker of the poem denies to worship the ‘ancient lies’ and expresses doubt against division and domination. In appreciation of anti-establishment imagination and vision of Sharon Olds, the poet says,

“I love Sharon Olds’ spark

her vision of Pope’s member

erect in sleep for his God”

Sum up

The question of self and monotonous life, pleasures of sex and spirituality, blessings of companionship, struggle against disease and age, and rupture in relationships are also explored in various poems.  Knocking Vistas and Other Poems can be capsulized as a collection which amalgamates the pain of living with the moments of joy with its immensely rich usage of images and metaphors that aim to tickle and comfort readers. Rich Murphy rightly observes: “the energy in this collection of confessional poems later in life promises the experienced readers that the “end of the season” is a metaphor after all. This reader clicks his “heels together: secret code” that requests another collection soon.”

Works Cited:

Singh, Ram Krishna. Knocking Vistas and Other Poems. Authorspress, 2024.

The Hindu. "Why This Degradation? A Look at the State of the Political Discourse." April 06, 2014. Accessed, April 07, 2024.

Murphy, Rich. April 06, 2024. LinkedIn.

<https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/comment-my-knocking-vistas-other-poems-ram-krishna-singh-vebwc/?trackingId=PxuNoDUjQaO8TzbQlpWyfA%3D%3D>

 

Published in International Journal on Multicultural Literature (IJML) Vol.14, No. 2, July 2024, pp. 58-61

 

PROF. RAM KRISHNA SINGH : A ‘MAN LIKE MILLIONS’ AND YET UNIQUE !

Book Review: Charan Singh Kedarkhandi

Ram Krishna Singh. Knocking Vistas And Other Poems. New Delhi: Authors Press, 2024, Rs. 295/-, Pages 91. ISBN 978-93-6095-669-1

                                                   --Dr Charan Singh Kedarkhandi—

[Dr. Charan Singh Kedarkhandi is currently working as an assistant professor in Government Postgraduate College,  Joshimath, near Badrinath in Uttarakhand. He is a bilingual poet and has published three collections of poetry in Hindi and English, including the much discussed Dancing with the Moon and Other Poems.]

 

 

I don't deify poets or politicians

nor trade in faith for bread

 

I don't sell gods and goddesses

spirit is not my profession

 

nor do I give moral discourse

for life in the next world

 

I am a man like millions

who dream stugggle and die

 

and nobody mourns

my drifty silence….

( 'Here and Now,’ Knocking Vistas and Other Poems, p. 15)

The aforementioned lines best summarize the inspiration, ideology, life , light and legacy of Ram Krishna Singh, retired Professor, Indian Institute of Technology/ Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad, India and  poet, haikuist and tanka writer of global fame and recognition. He is loved and longed for across India in the poetic landscape for his soul-stirring, heart-touching and nerve-racking (psychologically) haiku and tanka,  and his poems have been translated into several languages of the world. Understandably, Prof. Singh is widely popular outside India , including the Arabic speaking countries. He is perhaps the most prolific of contemporary Indian English poets with 25 well received collections of English poems and several significant critical studies of  literary giants like the one on Sri Aurobindo's revelatory epic Savitri: A Legend and A Symbol.

Knocking Vistas and Other Poems is his latest love affair with Life through sublime, soothing and sophisticated poems, published by Authors PRESS in 2024 and written with an avowed aim of an aspiration --  '... an exploration of who we are and what we are.'(Acknowledgement)   Major themes of these 38 poems are love, sex, politics, human relationship, global crisis like war and hunger and human subterfuges and shenanigans galore. The primordial dilemma of Adam in man is also discussed at many places like in the following poem :

half of my mind on God

and the other half on sex :

etenal hunger     (Melting Elements p.52)

The poet is deeply in love with Life, the perceptible existence around and the imperceptible within or Beyond. He loves the world and that's why is concerned for and "deeply involved" in its welfare. Some lines sound like the autobiography of pain and privation, despair and dolour and,  then there is immense optimism and aspiration  in a few other lines. The poet has touched one of the oldest crises of the world --conflict between Israel and Palestine-- through his  the poem 'War In Gaza' :

cursed Gaza awaits

a miracle to rise a new phoneix

to exist with Israel

despite the devil's design

for perpetual desolation   (p.17)

To my mind, each party must search and eliminate the 'devil within’. Butchery must be seen impartially beyond barbed wire and pain must be owned.  Peace and harmony is not a one way path; the seeds of harmony, the soothing song of hope, the ardour of empathy must be expressed by both sides in each battle of the world. Until that happens, there is little that poets can achieve. Dogmatism, blind hatred and relentless rancour of both parties will lead the Gulf, and eventually the world, towards a desolate and dreary cul de sac.

Recent years have witnessed growing distress and shearing stress everywhere. New heroes, new icons , emerging eidolons, new dreams and destinations are being eulogized, endorsed and marketed by the ‘Politics of Deception’. A mighty urge, an engulfing surge is surreptitiously swallowing the salubrious symphony of Satyr. :

in the name of faith and past

bullying the masses seek

 

fresh promises renewed

enthusiasm wrapped in

 

a dream scroll mythologized

to spotlight a Trump  Modi ...

 

for divine descent to make

life happen once again     (Politics of Deception, p.18)

The prescient poet adds, in the very next poem, that something more (similar to the “something” of Frost in Mending Wall ) ferocious, forceful and subtle is changing the minds of Gen-Z and 'climate change' must not be involved in this grave matter. This 'something’ is deftly weaving the plot of pain, the drama of dolour and erecting overnight the walls of divisions which are near impossible to bridge :

they have their priorities

mission to rewrite histories

erase the past and erect

new walls of divisions

 

climate change is no excuse

to mould the minds of Gen-Z…   (Loss, p. 20)

Who will throw the gauntlet before the corridors of chasm, schism, schizophrenic hatred, horrid hubris and mean myopia of man ? One reply is the poet. Another is the prophet of change in everybody's heart . And at times there is no difference between the two.

Some poems are rooted in the poet's deep humanistic empathy and love for the haves not, the less fortunate children languishing in every courtyard of the world from Arizona and Adelaide, from Somalia to Sri Lanka, from Dharavi to Dhaca. Mark the striking empathy for the poor in the poem 'Manouvering’ which is reminiscent of noted Hindu writer Munshi Prem Chand 's story

पूस की रात (Pus ki raat):

With right hand between the thighs

and left leg on the pillow

alone on bed he contorts

his body to manourvre

restlessness in his legs

 

sleeplessly suffers the  chill

for the third night in a row…(Manouvring, p. 35)

How can we sleep well unless everybody sleeps well, with dreams in eyes and food in the belly? Unfortunately,  very little has been done for the less fortunate. The penurious lot still remains plaything for developmental schemes, international debates and national elections. Despite his frail, flailing figure, the poor remains one of the most dominant topics for the pages of poetry, for the strokes of brush, for the rigmarole of politicians, and for the soft blows of chisel !

In the growing, or say deafening, clamour of cacophony , our poet is anguished and enraged for not being  able to listen to his soul, to talk to the inner self, to have a memorable rendezvous with life beyond rage and ruse, rancour and rapacity. He notices Truth being stifled at every step:

I can't hear myself

their noises erase my world

choices are denied–

questions of being wound me

courage and strength fade away

 

noises mute my voice

distract us from the truth…( Noises, p.22)

 

 

Let the world prefer meaningful silence to mean motives and meaningless noise !

 Smile, even 'frozen’,  can change the physical and intellectual temperature of this morose world and infuse life back into the maudlin flutter of Existence. The poet has written, with an unmatched dexterity, on many shades of love. In fact, love (sex included) seems his favourite topic, the very summum bonum of his poetic craft, the core of his creativity, the depth of his dreams for himself and for this world.

Silence —

her eyes word

a wine song  (Love Hides, p.56)

Love must be everybody's favourite fetish instead of hubris and hatred, hoary and gory skulduggery and suicidal swagger. My spiritual master, Sri Aurobindo, writes in the best poetic love of his sadhana , Savitri : He(Love) is still the Godhead by which all can change  (p. 397).

Despite a thousand and three reasons of disbelief, I still believe that one day love shall redeem this world from all ugliness, hideous perversion and prevarication, and open before us the dawn of empathy, oneness and ubiquitous Love. Enjoy this beautiful poem named SMILE :

I can't touch her heart

under the tan skin :

they waver behind the glass

 

hissing through clenched teeth

as I sip my drink

she gives me a frozen smile   (p.25)

One of our deepest or gravest inflictions is the sense of hollowness, the sense of meaninglessness, the never-filling inner conundrum that shears our soul, tears our joy, tramples upon our springs. We are madly after worldly economium. We run for and after the others’ stamp on our deeds and destinies, believing that 'they’ are the one who give us mojo and meaning. Just look at the mad bad race of others’ recognition on social media ! At this juncture of his life, Professor Singh has come to the realization that 'borrowed’ recognition is of no use for a person and his personality :

me and me +

making all

feel whole    (Feel Whole, p. 41)

One of the best and most important business of a poet is to witness life, the drama of Existence, the trauma of man, the awakened foster child of nature. In one of his visits to Varanasi, the eternal abode of Shiva and the elixir-blessing city, the poet sits alone and watches the dance of Death. The blazing flames of unending pyres weave a unique plot of pain, of renunciation, of dolour, of detachment. For some death is life. They feed on the remains and the offering of the pyre. This doesn't remain unnoticed in the eye of the poet:

Manikarnika :

he collects warm ashes

searching gold to live

by country liquor or bread

for starving wife and children    (Knocking Vistas, p. 64)

Worth reading and relishing is one long 'experminental’ poem that covers almost 20 odd pages in the collection. The book rightly reaches on culmination by two different versions of title poem ‘Knocking Vistas’ (three liners and five liners). Professor R K Singh evinces an enviable legacy of Light within him. All his life he has loved his work , teaching, and rendered remaining hours to the pages of Poesy. His books must be read and reflected on, he must be taught in colleges and universities. New researchers should find their oasis in the wisdom of the septuagenarian genius. This is the best that the society can do for the services of the poet and the man. The time is running out fast for us because the poet is hearing the knock of Autumn at his door :

memory full :

fail to store name and number

autumn evening    ( p. 75)

At the end of the book a readable ‘Afterword’  by Kevin Marshall Chopson, artist, poet and experimental filmmaker from Tennessee , America, is attached. It revists the life and legacy of Professor Singh and highlights his contribution to the world of the Word and his matchless mastery over haiku  and tanka, two of the ancient Japanese poetry forms.  Ram Krishna Singh is one of Mr. Chopson's "personal favourites" of poets and his love and admiration for the poet of Walking Vistas is palpable in his words. Basho must be in bliss !