Ripples Of Heart Through Words

Gandhi Raj Kafle

A heart is where the ripples of sentiment get stored. The rule is valid to everyone, no matter who is the person – a farmer, labourer, a sports person, an aircraft pilot, a poet or any. In fact, it is a matter of heart, which means it is an emotional thing.

But here we have a group of people who are beautifully different because it is that group which is deeply inclined to define the love and emotions of mankind. They are called poets, who try to give artistic words and shape human feelings the best way.

Contemporary Nepali literature is moving ahead the same way. But, the genre poetry needs to be talked about with special focus because it is in full swing not only with creations of genius poets and poetesses of the former times; it is enriched with the impressive entry of so many talented poets and poetesses.

 Here with this reference, we have one such impressive entry. The name of poetess is Shashi Bhattarai Shrestha and the title of her collection of poems is “Nirmal Talauma Taranga”.

It  takes much time, silent devotion and patience before a person who finally shows determination to publish a book. In this vein, Shashi is a winner because this first poetry of her is not only first in order, it is also the first sparkling feather in the cap of the poetess.

 One thing which readers can notice in this collection is that her preface author is none but her daughter Sindhia herself because the poetess thinks she is one of the accurate observers of her personality.

In fact, Shashi loves to compose poetry and her family is the first eyewitness to it. Now, with the publication of this anthology, other observers will be readers themselves.

This collection, which begins with the poem entitled “Aama” (mother), concludes in 96th page with the poem, Meri Bajai (my grandmother). Within this mother-grandmother space, the poetess has chosen lots of other themes, too, for outpouring her poetic feelings. Some of the titles in this collection are Nari Ra Purush (man and woman), Mana (heart), Bhram (illusion), Prashna (question) and Malai Dukhchha (it hurts me) etc.

But, this is only the skeleton of the book. The true thing, therefore, is the poetess has shown maturity in expressions over themes which have been important for individual life. The titles Melamchi (name of Kathmandu’s dream project for water), Hijo Aaja Mero Deshma (things today in my country) and Kathai Nepali Kanun (pathetic governance) are a few examples of such poems.

The poetess has lifted up his feelings with her mature views and the art of words.

A few examples of this kind from this collection are given below:

Inside the Cottage library

My mother, I saw

She was reading books 

page- 21, title “Aama”

 (In fact, only artistic words can define the ideal form of a mother. Shashi has shown such poetic audacity through this poem)

Similarly, there is another poem entitled “Mero Mani” (My Love), where her desire is pure and artistic. She says:

Mani,

Become a fragrance of feelings

And touch me

And, spill all over my body with your fragrance

  (In fact, love is the forever sweetest theme for poet and poetess and the poetess in this poem has taken her pure feelings to a new high in the description of love).

   One more example of the strength of the poetess to describe pressing problem in poetic words here is the poem entitled “Melamchi”.

Let’s see a few lines first:

Dear Melamchi,

Reminding you, I bath with own sweat

Oh! Dear,

I have not forgotten you to love

Every moment,

I spelled your sacred name

Had I enough strength

I would have carried and brought you here

In fact, to the thirsty Kathmanduities, the Melamchi is not only a drinking water project; it is an imagination, too. Shashi has utilised the same imagination to create a poem on it. However, as a poetess, she is not only conscious over the need of the people; she has been imaginative and skillful to bring emotions to focus through her poem.

 To conclude, this anthology of poems may be small in terms of pages, but it contains much skills, passion, strength and potential of an emerging poetess. There can’t be second for anyone without a first. This universal rule applies to poetess Shashi Bhattarai Shrestha, too, because it is such a book.