Shrestha's 'Lahana Ra Teer' hits book stalls

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Nov. 28:

I used to say-

'I am the whole tree

And you only the leaf'

Today, I realised 

How lifeless is the tree without leaves 

These lines are from 'Lahana Ra Teer', an anthology of poems by Avaya Shrestha, which gives the powerful voice of co-existence and realisation. The book has hit the bookshelves all over the country. Of late, the anthology has been a topic of complimentary buzz among poetry lovers.

Divided in four parts with different titles, the book consists of 49 insightful poems. The first part has thought-provoking poems while the second is centred on woman sensibility. 

The third has poems on the identity of the suppressed community and the fourth has contemporary poems on the tragedy of present-day life. The poems included in the anthology were written in 20 years. The book is published by Bookhill Publications, Kathmandu.

Sandeh (Doubt) is one of the poet's most famous poems which doubts even one’s own conscience. Kranti Ko Pathashala (The School Of Revolution) depicts the tragedy of Democratic-Republican Nepal while 'Socrates' pleads that being Socrates is not to lead the life of a Sannyasi (renunciant) but to clear all the dirty things prevalent in the society. In 'The Tree And The Leaves', he professes deep confession of the past.

'Shrestha's poems touch the heart first, then they tumble your brain,' publication house Bookhill has written in its blurb. 'The images of Newar culture are the chaste assets of the book. Shrestha is the representative poet of the democratic-republican age of the country.' 

In contrast to the tradition, the poet has dedicated the book to the critics. Also a popular story writer and literary columnist, he, earlier, had three books to his credit.