A Poet with A Difference—Kunal Roy

Name of the Book: the ten hands of a fuchka seller ( haiku and senryu). Name of the author: Daipayan Nair: Publication House: Penprints: ISBN: 978-81-974036-2-0: INR 300: First Edition: 2024.

A POET WITH A DIFFERENCE! 

**************************************

He is elegant. He is gracious. He is pertinent about his thoughts. He knows pretty well how to play with words to cater a complete picture to the audience. He is none other than Daipayan Nair, who has adroitly dealt with a completely different genre of poetry. Unfortunately, the poets of the contemporary age do not touch the subjects of Haiku and Senryu. They are more governed by the longish poems which at times are not limpid enough to fathom the essence of the context. However, Nair has done justice to his genre to evoke curiosity in the readers.

    When we talk on Poetry, we are usually reminded of the dense stuff fused with allegory, litotes and other figures of speech. But Haiku and Senryu are the most shortest form of poetry, which if taken care of, can win the heart of millions. Simple yet symbolic. Short yet intense. And able to connect the tender souls without making any such " Uphill" journey! In our country, the poems of such a genre are not frequently seen or read and this is the reason the poet of this collection decided to treat a different kettle of fish to exhume the abundance ensconced in such fragmentary pieces.

  Nair's " the ten hands of a fuchka seller" is imbued with symbolic overtones. The picture of the book is suggestive of the truth how a metaphor can magnify the image of a poor individual like fuchka seller. Ten hands also glorify the image of the Goddess. This intricate connection between the two deserves a special mention, leaving no room for doubt! 

   " graffiti art

    an old beggar pees 

     on revolution".

Revolution is a heart and soul investment to bring reformation in the society. The tradition of writing on the wall. Yet an old beggar urinates on the stuff, making it blur and soiled. The reason is obvious. It doesn't bear any importance to him as no change would take place in his life and style. There is a sense of political clout in these simple lines indeed! 

  " shaking a jar

     of roasted raw mangoes 

      grandma's noon".

The eldest of a family never lives an idyllic life and the poet has shown how she keeps herself busy like a bee to prepare a special dish of pickle, when others have naively drifted into a deep slumber. The poet's observation deserves eulogy from his admirers. 

 And you can find how a corner of a busy and beautiful city like Kolkata is utterly important for a fuchka seller to eke out his living. Hemmed in by thousands of hungry souls, he never sells out his patience and endurance. With immaculate perfection he does his job and leaves a smile on the lips! Again " between / the city buses/ her face - the expressions attempt to draw the heed of those who desire to discover a beautiful visage amid the multitude! And once the vision seizes the glimpse of her silky texture, the heart pounds and desires to have in arms. A nexus of emotions work! 

hot jalebis /ammi's Eid greetings/ soak the syrup celebrate the essence of the festival. Distributing sweets and gifts not only fosters the bond but also unlocks the doors and windows of radiance and delight . The lines explore the poet's inner realm draped with friendliness, with no scope of animosity to creep in! Lines like scattered fish bones/ a young waiter gathers/ his thoughts enrich us with the mode of comparison. The thin fish bones and the amassing of thoughts - sharp and swift to combat any situation coming to the fore! 

  The poet is endowed with an extraordinary talent and potential. Delving into myriad subjects, he has proved that he literally stands out of the clutter! He has shown how the burning passion of a food vlogger ignores the market syntax and reaches out to the vendor! Pretty funny when the poet utters that his in law improvises him with some extra white, boiled grains and asks him to consume comfortably - as if an entreat from her to satisfy her soul! Moreover, there are certain lines like " pulling a new prank/ puddle splash, " chewing a paan / from different angles" , " school bus / innocence stares from the window bear a robust testimony to the diversity of his thoughts! " mid - March/ my touch adds colour to her cheeks" - speak of love and camaraderie of the poet. 

  At certain occurrences, the poet sounds practical, faraway from the make - believe world he loves to conjure up time and again.

  "raining petals

   the street sweeper stretches 

    her spine" - show how the beauty ends in ashes. A street sweeper does his or her job and there is no option to churn any feeling of romance. The poet has essayed to blend the harsh with the softness, the real with the unreal! The poet gets closer to his beloved as he says " Kolkata Biriyani/ she leaves her memory / on my tongue". Tongue plays a crucial role in the entire gamut of love making chemistry. The closed eyes, the lip lock and the dipping of toes in the warm pool of pleasure are beyond any apt epithet! However, the contrast lies when this unique preparation overpowers the poet's intimate moments with his beloved! " red blouse/ a safety pin between/ her lips " conjure up an erotic image. She tries to put on the blouse to look more fascinating in her chubby breast! 

Abundance of ideas. A brook of thoughts and an urge to remain fidel to such emerging notions. The flowers blossom and the beloved' s poem sits on his lips. How tender the feeling is! How colourful the image is! How metaphorical the application is ! At a conjunction, the poet confesses how he was engrossed with her thoughts and began to count the stars. There is a silent message which runs beneath the

current - perhaps he forgot the moon. An intermingling fettle of love, loneliness and Languishment. Yet the poet needs to travel a little like the falling of a white shiuli from a tender twig! 

There are aplenty poems revolving around the themes of an evening soiree, tempest in the coffee mugs over heated political and apolitical debates, innocence in consuming puffed rice by the dear grandma, monsoon nights where a desire crops up to approach, embrace and love and many more! 

  Exquisitely elegant style and diction. A book of nearly hundred pages. Thousands of images, shades and subtleties abound the work. Brevity of expressions and a soulful rendition encourage an avid reader to finish the book in a single sitting! 

   " Go and Catch A Falling star" by Donne is a brilliant poem, containing an allegorical significance. Yet there is a similarity - just run or make a brisk walk to grab a copy before it is too late!!

Reviewer bio: Being an ardent lover of Literature, Kunal Roy has always shown a profound interest in its various genres. He began his literary journey in his fifth standard. During his graduation, his articles and comments have been published in the the leading newspapers like The Statesman and The Times of India. Currently he is associated with the web portals like Tech Touch Talk, Sobdo Mitali as a seasonal contributor. However, his favourite domains are art, folk, mythology, religion, sociology and anthropology as well. He loves to translate too, in either languages. The awards won by him are Shibani Bose Memorial award from the Ramkrishna Mission Institute of Culture, Golpark, Kolkata, the book prize for the best dissertation from the department of Indology, Ramakrishna Institute of Culture, Golpark, Kolkata and many more including two national awards in recent times. His works have also been published abroad and here as well. He has contributed to more than forty anthologies ( both in English and Bengali). His first book ''SHADES'' ( Kindle Version) was published by the Pen prints Publication, Kolkata. His second book "Confession : An Unfinished Story" by Nirob Aalo Prakashan, Birbhum. "Kali : The Divine Mother" is his third book by Nirob Aalo Prakashan, Birbhum. His fourth book " A Cup of  Love (  Kindle Version) and the latest one " A Lazy Afternoon " have been published by Nirob Aalo Prokashana, Birhum. His two  more books " Fantasy and Reality " and "Upolobdhi" will be released soon.  Notably the author's  "Kali : The Divine Mother " has been given a five rated status by Amazon and received the nomination for the Golden Book Award, 2024. "Morning Dew " is the first book edited by him and published by Nirob Aalo Prokashana, Birbhum. He writes in English and Bengali as well.  He is recognized as a poet and translator too. His research paper has been published in the Indo Bangla project from USA recently. In recent times he is recognised as of the SAARC poets from India. The author lives in Kolkata and is the Assistant Professor of English Language and Communication in George Group of Colleges, Kolkata. 

The author can be contacted at kunalroychowdhury81@gmail.com