My poem reviewed by eminent reviewer Prof Dr Nirakar Dash of Department of English Assam University.
Humbled & Honoured.
THE DUST OF GRIEF !
At times I think of my uneventful life
Just a garland of thorns sans peace
What I have found is the dust of grief
When I did desire for the cold touch
Out of nothing only cold sigh in my lot Sorrows made my heart more sombre
You left leaving a couple of moments
None has time to hold my numb hands
Even my shadow is very often apathetic
This is my life and why should I be afraid Of sorrow for it’s mine, my companion.
©®Dr Prasana Kumar Dalai @India.
Date. Sun, 27 May 2024.
“The Dust of Grief” by Dr Prasanna Ku Dalai , the well known poet of India , lays bare his grief owing to the separation of his lady -love from him.As a result of her moving away from his orbit, life seems quite painful and humdrum.While other’ s are festooned with garlands of glory, he , like P B Shelly, falls “upon the thorn of life” and bleeds.No less than romantic self pity,it reflects a universal truth of the human experience. Considered from Thomas Hardy’s standpoint, life is a series of suffering while having occasional episodes of happiness. Again, callous attitude of the beloved is directly hinted at in the words such as,”cold touch”The poet’s all out efforts and desires to have even an indifferent corporeal touch or inadvertent attention from her goes in vain.The word ” cold” used in a versatile way, possibly means the cooling down of libido in the fifth line of the poem. Like the lady in “La Belle Dam Sans Mercy” she leaves after spending few moments with him which he can’t forget.The poet laments,”you left leaving a couple of moments”. “Numb hand” signify the trauma the poet has suffered and moreover, no help in the form of consolation is anticipated in this so called civilized world where everyone is busy in self aggrandisement. This is powerfully stated in the line:”Even my shadow is often apathetic ” In the last two lines, the poet, like Alexander Selkirk , accepts the fact with stoic resignation and tries to see things as they are. Congratulations Prasanna Sir for composing such a superlative poem.Regads.
