As the person who takes care of the Maltese Poets Association e-mail account I regularly receive greetings and messages from different poets coming from all over the globe. One of the latest was Indian poet Dr. Amitabh Mitra. I sent him a short e-mail asking him if I could download some of his poetry for my blog and he immediately answered positively.
Photo by Volkmar Dobat of Indophot.
Biographical note:
Amitabh Mitra is a Medical Doctor in a busy hospital in East London, South Africa. A widely published poet in the web and print, Amitabh has been hailed as one of the most popular South African poet writing in English today by the Skyline Literary Review, New York.
Amitabh, now settled in South Africa, uses his experience of social interaction and cultural impact from countries like India, Bhutan and Zimbabwe where he worked under varying conditions, in his art and poetry.
A powerful voice dispersing a reverie of time and heritage, his love poems with a backdrop of feudal Gwalior and Delhi take you on a sentimental journey to old family homes, forts, palaces and places where he grew up.
His unique style of fusing words into almost lyrical dream like images, exploring muted corners of life taken over a suddenrushhourtime, Amitabh brings forth poetry that seems to peep from behind veils and shadows, waylaid in a mind state in Johannesburg and New York, all merging in an unforgettable ecstatic experience.
His first book of poems was published in 1980 under the title of ‘Ritual Silences’.
‘A Slow Train to Gwalior’ is a CD of his ten most popular poems recited against a background of African and Indian traditional music. Brought out by Harp Records, South Africa, this poetry CD weaves a desire into a steady pattering of rain, a voice that would almost allure you to yet another stealth of a strangertime.
His first show of poems, drawings, visuals and prints, juxtaposition of words, lines and colors was on show at The Ann Bryant Art Gallery, St. Marks Road, East London from 12 July to 28 July 2005.
Dr. Mitra edits ‘The Hudson View’ an international print poetry journal published from New York, USA
He is the Chairperson of the East London Fine Arts Society.
Amitabh, now settled in South Africa, uses his experience of social interaction and cultural impact from countries like India, Bhutan and Zimbabwe where he worked under varying conditions, in his art and poetry.
A powerful voice dispersing a reverie of time and heritage, his love poems with a backdrop of feudal Gwalior and Delhi take you on a sentimental journey to old family homes, forts, palaces and places where he grew up.
His unique style of fusing words into almost lyrical dream like images, exploring muted corners of life taken over a suddenrushhourtime, Amitabh brings forth poetry that seems to peep from behind veils and shadows, waylaid in a mind state in Johannesburg and New York, all merging in an unforgettable ecstatic experience.
His first book of poems was published in 1980 under the title of ‘Ritual Silences’.
‘A Slow Train to Gwalior’ is a CD of his ten most popular poems recited against a background of African and Indian traditional music. Brought out by Harp Records, South Africa, this poetry CD weaves a desire into a steady pattering of rain, a voice that would almost allure you to yet another stealth of a strangertime.
His first show of poems, drawings, visuals and prints, juxtaposition of words, lines and colors was on show at The Ann Bryant Art Gallery, St. Marks Road, East London from 12 July to 28 July 2005.
Dr. Mitra edits ‘The Hudson View’ an international print poetry journal published from New York, USA
He is the Chairperson of the East London Fine Arts Society.
Poems:
Darfur
Suddenly a baby cries
Malnourished
Maltreated
And ravaged
Men woman and children
Hang by their
Skin to
Mirages
the desert burns the skull
of all reasons
Storms that sweep
Into their eyes
Locks up
Within corneas
Daring death to open them
Darfur has no word
Darfur has no meaning
Darfur has deaths
The baby squeaks
Because only
He has the pride to
Know
When the Janjaweed
Are coming
Its time then
The mirages are slashed open
By flashing swords and
Faceless marauders
Screams will be a welcome whirlwind
Chasing the sun again.
One Day
I wait for you each day
with the changing of seasons, the smell
in our mango orchard and
the turbulence of your hair where I once
basked the stealth in the eye of a desire.
As a boy I raced
the train everyday with my
friends looking at the receding
distance
and the parting of the last carriage
till a horizon lifted it once again in the sky.
and then you came one day, Aavantika
suddenly
with the camel trains at sunset behind
the lumbering fort
treading the colors of your
garara and the jingle of ghungroos
on a bare feet river
flowing on parched pebbles
and eyes that had held together so
long
the distance
again.
Old Delhi Days
Another wintry day
petals over petals
of quiet wind
hiding a warmth from these streets of
old delhi
where fables had once been
strangled
in the lunacy of a crowded
moment
and you today
going alone
somewhere
on a rickshaw
in the midst of a mist
unaware
of streets that have long
surrendered
to the frost on
your lips
the old man
fort
holding a respite
of hurts in a sky of
sewn blue
haunted
I see you turn around
suddenly
catching the freeze
in your grip
as the rickshaw catches another lane
another day
in wintry
old delhi.
Visit link: http://www.amitabhmitra.com/
1 comment:
Hello Patric,
An interesting site of interesting people introduced to me today.Although I am a small publisher,Amitabh published my eighteenth book last year, 'Fledgeling,'my fifth anthology of poetry.Dr. Shaleen Kumar Singh and I are producing a world anthology of poetry, 'Journeys,'for which we are looking for international poets. Hoping to hear from you soon, Graham
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