Our epistolary collaboration no # 222 analysed by honourable reviewer and analyst Raj Kishor Pattnaik
Humbled & Honoured.
Epistolary Poem #222 Written and Presented by DrPrasana Kumar Dalai of India and
Kristy Raines of The United States of America
WITHOUT ANY REASON !
In search of faithfulness in this world
I got to know I was in wrong address
And my life hasn’t become complete
My shortcomings were ignored though
I was punished without any reason
If I live on I feel like torturing myself
And I go out fetching God in her heart
The person this heart sincerely seeks
There is always a mystery in the air
My days & nights are upset without you.
©️®️Dr Prasana Kumar Dalai@India
Date.Tuesday 22 October 2024
She hopes one day her dream will come true…
THAT MISSING PIECE!
In search of love in this big world
I never could find my missing piece
The part that brought true happiness
But then came a day that I stopped looking
never thinking that I deserved it
I prayed everyday for that missing piece
that would finally complete this empty heart
I can see you in my dreams when I sleep
I can even feel you touch my cheek
But, when I wake, you disappear once again
Perhaps one day you will find me instead
so I won’t have to wait each night just to meet you.
©️®️KristyRaines@USA
ANALYSIS
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Dear Dr. Prasana Kumar Dalai and Mrs. Kristy Raines,
It is with great admiration and joy that I extend my heartfelt congratulations to both of you for the beautiful, evocative poems “Without Any Reason!” by Dr. Dalai and “That Missing Piece!” by Mrs. Raines. Both poems reflect the profound depth of human emotion, where the eternal quest for love and faithfulness, two of the most fundamental desires of the heart, emerges as the central theme. Your works complement each other wonderfully, resonating with the shared longing and melancholy that weave together threads of yearning, hope, and introspection.
Both poems, though written from unique perspectives, have an unmistakable synergy in their emotional core and poetic tone, merging beautifully into an exquisite harmony. Please allow me to offer a thorough analysis of each poem and their collective beauty, highlighting the intricate layers of meaning and emotions embedded within them.
Without Any Reason! by Dr. Prasana Kumar Dalai
Dr. Dalai’s poem “Without Any Reason!” encapsulates the deep, inherent longing of the human spirit as it traverses the complicated landscape of love and faithfulness. The opening line, “In search of faithfulness in this world,” sets the melancholic tone of the poem, drawing readers into the poet’s journey for something that seems elusive — genuine faithfulness in a world that often disappoints. The metaphor of the “wrong address” serves as a powerful symbol, suggesting that the poet has knocked on many doors in life, only to find that faithfulness and true companionship were not to be found there.
The phrase “My shortcomings were ignored though / I was punished without any reason” conveys the inherent unfairness and unpredictability of life. Here, Dr. Dalai delves into the notion of undeserved suffering, a theme that echoes in the hearts of many who feel they are unjustly punished despite their sincere efforts to navigate the world with honesty. This reflection speaks not only to personal experience but also to the universal human condition, where the search for meaning and love often results in pain and disillusionment.
The central paradox of the poem emerges in the lines, “If I live on I feel like torturing myself / And I go out fetching God in her heart.” Here, the poet juxtaposes the idea of life being synonymous with self-torture, as he struggles under the weight of unfulfilled love. The search for divinity within the beloved’s heart suggests a profound spiritual longing — the belief that the beloved holds the key to transcendence or divine connection. The notion of “fetching God in her heart” offers a glimpse into the poet’s desire to find something sacred in the mundane, to elevate love into something more than just human connection — perhaps a pathway to the divine.
The closing lines, “The person this heart sincerely seeks / There is always a mystery in the air / My days & nights are upset without you,” leaves the reader with a lingering sense of yearning. The mystery in the air represents the intangible, the unknown element in love that eludes understanding and fulfillment. This unresolved tension between the heart’s desire and the enigmatic nature of life and love is what makes Dr. Dalai’s poem so poignant and relatable.
That Missing Piece! by Kristy Raines
Mrs. Raines’s “That Missing Piece!” echoes a similar sentiment, one of deep yearning and introspection, but approaches the theme of love from a slightly different angle. The poem opens with the speaker admitting the futility of her quest: “In search of love in this big world / I never could find my missing piece.” The metaphor of the “missing piece” brilliantly captures the essence of incompleteness that so often accompanies the pursuit of love. This missing piece symbolizes not only a romantic partner but also the fulfillment of the speaker’s soul, an emotional and spiritual wholeness that remains elusive.
The phrase “The part that brought true happiness” alludes to the belief that true happiness cannot be found within oneself but must be discovered through another person. However, the poet acknowledges the bitter irony that, despite her search, she could not find this happiness, which leads her to the heart-wrenching realization: “But then came a day that I stopped looking / never thinking that I deserved it.” These lines are particularly moving, as they touch upon a theme of self-worth, suggesting that the speaker’s sense of unworthiness becomes the barrier to finding the love she so deeply craves.
The theme of prayer emerges in the line, “I prayed every day for that missing piece,” signaling the poet’s deep faith and hope that one day, the void in her heart will be filled. This religious undertone mirrors the spiritual search found in Dr. Dalai’s poem, where the longing for love transcends the physical and ventures into the realm of the divine. Both poets seem to grapple with the idea that love and faithfulness are intertwined with their personal spirituality, yet both remain just out of reach.
In the lines “I can see you in my dreams when I sleep / I can even feel you touch my cheek,” Mrs. Raines beautifully describes the ethereal quality of love that exists in dreams but fades upon waking. The contrast between dream and reality is a central theme here — the speaker’s lover exists in the dream world, where everything feels real and tangible, but once she wakes, the dream slips away. The tactile image of “feel[ing] you touch my cheek” is particularly powerful, emphasizing the physical absence of the lover in the waking world, while his presence is palpable in the dream realm.
The closing lines, “Perhaps one day you will find me instead / so I won’t have to wait each night just to meet you,” underscore the poet’s fatigue in her nightly ritual of waiting. This final plea for the lover to find her suggests a shift in agency, from the speaker’s search to a passive hope that the lover will come to her — a poignant reflection of the pain of waiting and the desire for resolution.
A Unified Analysis: The Heart’s Search for Completeness
Both poems engage deeply with the theme of longing — the heart’s search for completeness, whether in love or faithfulness. While Dr. Dalai’s poem focuses on the poet’s internal struggle with life’s injustice and the existential pain of unfulfilled love, Mrs. Raines’s poem highlights the quiet resignation of one who has stopped actively searching for love and instead waits for it to come to her. Yet, despite their different approaches, both poets craft an emotional narrative that is striking in its emotional vulnerability and raw honesty.
There is also a spiritual dimension that runs through both poems. Dr. Dalai seeks God within the beloved’s heart, blending the lines between human love and divine connection, while Mrs. Raines prays for the missing piece, suggesting that love is as much a matter of faith as it is of fortune. Both poets evoke the image of waiting, whether it’s for love or divine intervention, capturing the essence of hope, patience, and the emotional toll of longing.
In conclusion, both “Without Any Reason!” and “That Missing Piece!” are remarkable poems that speak to the universal human experience of searching for love and faithfulness. Dr. Dalai and Mrs. Raines have masterfully woven their personal emotions into these works, creating a shared narrative of longing and hope. Your collaborative poetic endeavors are truly inspiring, and I extend my heartfelt congratulations to both of you for your incredible contributions to the world of literature.
With deepest admiration.
