In The Mirror Of A Passionate Poet

Gandhi Raj Kafle

Rivers flow because of the nature of water. But how will we react, if there are plenty of reasons, which make us feel that the river is not flowing. This is a world of poetry: Here symbols carry multi-dimensional meanings. We love to read such instances.

The context is a new anthology of poetry entitled Nadi Bagdaina by Shyam Rimal, who has presented symbolic poems in the mode that rivers do not flow.

In fact, the element of time hugely matters life and its impact of it to poet Rimal, too, is huge. He goes on and on catching a path of creativity and finally what he has loved much as passion is not other, but only poetry. Therefore, the collection Nadi Bagdaina, which is the fourth poetry book to the credit of the poet, is also a mark of his non-stop passion to compose poems.

Noted senior poet Shyamal has talked about how powerfully the impact of poetry symbols work in awakening societies referring names of two American poets, Allan Greenberg and Alice Walker, the Chilean poet Pablo Neruda and the German poet Bertolt Brecht. The nature of the impact of poetry with symbols is the same in all languages. But we need to know that we have to read more and more, and critics, too, have to come forward to appreciate the true piece of such art. The views expressed by poet Shyamal in his preface to this book and remarks of the composer of this anthology Rimal are important for the good of poetry in this context.

So, what is it? Has the river really stopped to flow? The poet has tried to find answers to this curiosity artistically in poems of this anthology. Numerically, there are over 140 poems, which have been divided into three chapters as per the major themes of the poems.

The first chapter's poems are related to ‘Jiban Ra Jagat’ (life and the world), the second ‘Trishuli and Tirthadi’ (Trishuli and Pilgrimages’ and third Chapter is for poems with the main theme ‘Jain and Sukti’ (words of wisdom).

In fact, ‘life and life’s relations with the world is a principal theme for every poet. But, this relationship is unique because it gives a distinct identity to a poet. A poet can’t exactly be a philosopher or a religious guru. So, he has to seek beauty of life only from life; he holds liberty to see all around and knowledge of all subjects helps to build beautiful ideas. But his destination is only one, which is the beauty of poetry only. So, in the context of   the first chapter of the anthology “Nadi Bagdaina”, many poems in it are worthy to talk with merit of poetic art.    

The examples of poetic opinions in favour of life in this anthology are many. But, let’s take a few here to see how the poet perceives degrading values of society and life:

River does not flow, and the air, too

And the things that run and flow are exciting news

This is full of stomach food and the pleasure of man

Page-10, Nadi Bagdaina

Same way, the poet put up a hard question before historians in these two lines:

Can we leave it blank?

Some black days of history

Page-15, Itihaska Khali Pana

Let one inhalation be one deep exhalation  

Let one breathing be one roaring

Why we breathe to reduce our life

Why we breathe to pollute

Page-81, Nayan Sas: Nayan Akash

These poems contain intrinsic meanings and through this the poet wants to show the fact. The rising pollution, the climatic disorder, injustice, inhumanity, corruption, immorality and lack of tolerance, love and trust; these are the things which worry poet Shyam Rimal in this collection.

 Compared to many poetry books that keep coming with size less or around 100-page, the collection Nadi Bagdaina seems to be impressive because it serves 226 pages of poetry for readers. Poet Rimal is non-stop, too. 

That is why he waits for some interval just to write and select poems to unveil a new collection. The result of this passion is here: The Nadi Bagdaina has come out as the 4th creations as the poet has already published three poetry books to his credit.

In  a nutshell, what can be said is there cannot be any poetry without deep meanings. What is read and seen in the garb of words is just a body in poems. 

The real story of it in this art, therefore, is understanding and feelings and it compels hearts to think over themes figured by a poem. Poet Shyam Rimal is in form to drop the messages. He says, “Nadi Bagdaina” (River is not flowing), but what has been flowing for him is his passion for poetry.