A Comment on KNOCKING VISTAS AND OTHER POEMS

 

In Knocking Vistas and Other Poems, Ram Krishna Singh’s late style, “wintered sadness” poetry provides intimate current day meditations and reflections that bump metaphors and images against soulful ironic reportage where loneliness ranks higher than a haiku. Aware of his daily spiritual poetics, Singh, in shorter poems provides comfort to readers who aren’t ailing from age-related illnesses. Using the youthful mindset, he brings the reality of shadow-chasing during the night: Alone on a “bed he contorts his body to manouvre restlessness in the legs.” In a longer poem, fantasy brings peace when the prayer to the “divine on a wall” where then the readers learn “she leans on him to kiss.” One of the two title poems (Three-Liners) that I find interesting still, reflects on the trivia in life and rejects the “illusion of self” . . . “yet the guest doesn’t show up.” The poem is philosophical while marking an intimate experience. The energy in this collection of confessional poems later in life promises the experienced readers that the “end of the season” is a metaphor after all. This reader clicks his “heels together: secret code” that requests another collection soon. Knocking Vistas and Other Poems by Ram Krishna Singh is available at the publishers platform and other sites including Amazon.

--Rich Murphy

Guest Lecturer at Massachusetts College of Art and Design

Marblehead, Massachusetts, United States 

https://www.amazon.in/KNOCKING-VISTAS-OTHER-POEMS-Krishna/dp/B0CYCLNL24

My poem published in Kelaino, Issue 88, January-March 2024

 

DREAMTIME by John Rankine : A Short Review

 

John T. Rankine, who calls himself a professional nomad, is an espalier expert, working in landscaping. He travels by bike and train to teach and research, and has evolved over a period of time as a social realist, writing poetry.

He conceives his DREAMTIME as a collection of poems, showing evolution of his vision and interests in life, besides highliting the varied influences that shape his poems. However, he cautions: "This is not meant to be a homogeneous book of verse...but a compilation of poetry that covers some 45 years in the making."

Celebrating his roots, nature and earth, he amalgamates familial history and memories, personal observations and influences, and poetry-- his own and others. Rankine honours me by including two of my poems from AGAINST THE WAVES: SELECTED POEMS (2021) along with poems by Robbie Burns, Jenny Saulwick and others.

John Rankine's poems are genuine, readable and valuable addition to Contemporary Australian Poetry.

--Professor R K Singh

Knocking Vistas And Other Poems published

 

My new poetry book, including haiku and tanka, is now available on Amazon. It is also listed on the Haiku Foundation Digital Library: https://thehaikufoundation.org/omeka/items/show/6956

'Morass of Loss' appears on the Edge of Humanity, 05 March 2024

 

Morass Of Loss

The chimneys around my home

print black spots on the walls

darken the air I breathe and

the water I drink or bathe in

 

the owners know how to shut

the mouths of inspectors

and the mafia know how

to make money this season

 

politics of lack of rain

repair and management

scraunch smoke from wildfires away

to country’s gas emissions

 

they have their priorities

mission to rewrite histories

erase the past and erect

new walls of divisions

 

climate change is no excuse

to mould the minds of Gen-Z

in face of imminent doom:

stay quiet at morass of loss

 

 Text ©  R.K.Singh

https://edgeofhumanity.com/2024/03/05/morass-of-loss/

My tanka published on Scarlet Dragonfly Journal

 

February 26, 2024

foggy morning
choke humans and animals
icy darkness
around fire on the roadside
they smoke bidi with chai

            — R.K. Singh, India

https://scarletdragonflyjournal.wordpress.com/2024/02/26/foggy-morning-2/

NOISES published on the Edge of Humanity

 My poem NOISES appears on Edge of Humanity, 27 February 2024:

I can’t hear my self

their noises erase my world

choices are denied-

questions of being wound me

courage and strength fade away

noises mute my voice

distract us from the truth

crowns change with the wind

and they play chess with our lives

they feed us dust and potions

in their new temples

arouse their magic deities

make us yell loud

and hang us upside down.

Text ©  R.K.Singh

https://edgeofhumanity.com/2024/02/27/noises/