... in Manas Bakshi’s Dialogue at a Distance

Dr Manas Bakshi, an internationally known poet, figures in fifty anthologies of a poetry including world Poetry Anthology from 1999 to 2008 edited by Dr Krishna Srinavas, has authored fifteen books of poetry from 1988 to 2024. He is a major poet with a difference. The variety of themes on which he writes is astonishing. He writes reflective poems rather than descriptive ones. His style of writing is elitist and outstanding. He talks about social and political ills not in a realistic way but about their impact of this change on the mind and psyche of a conscious individual. 

I shall start the review of the anthology with a poem of that name “Dialogue at a Distance’. The poem, instead of talking about a dialogue between two persons standing at a distance, explores the inevitability of experiences, duality of life and power of nature. The poet uses strong visual language with words like ‘undulating terrain’, ‘studded with beauty’, ‘pallor of frailty’ and ‘dark as passion’. The imagery creates a strong atmosphere of emotional impact. The repeated line “Nobody can escape” effectively emphasizes the poem’s core message about the inevitability of life’s experiences:

Pallor of frailty
Nobody can escape-
Where hunger is a tragedy
Nobody can escape—
Dark as passion
A wave in the aorta
Love’s obsession-
Nobody can escape – (Page18)

The Poem ‘Nocturnal Ushering’ revolves around the mysterious, transformative presence in the midst of darkness and silence symbolizing the female figure. This presence brings out a profound emotional and intellectual awakening, the narrator’s inner conflict to a state of mystical and passionate enlightenment. The poem explores solitude, memory and the power of unseen force to inspire the human spirit that revives forgotten emotions and creativity. Further, the use of ‘albatross’ and the metaphor of night ‘dancing’ add depth and symbolism to the poem:

It was midnight-
She came from
An unknown distance
To see me awake
Amid all that
Her presence portrayed:
She was my poem
Of forgotten moments – (Page 50)

William Wordsworth defines poetry as a spontaneous overflow of powerful emotions originating in emotions recollected in tranquility. Manas Bakshi is no exception to this theory.

There are several poems exploring covertly or overtly the inevitability of the creation of poetry. The poems are: ‘Why Poetry is still Written’ – (P.22), “Nocturnal Ushering” – (P.50), ‘A Prose poem’ – (P. 51), ‘My poem’ – (P. 68),’ Prelude To A Poetic Voyage’ – (P. 87) and ‘Ode to World Poetry Day 2022’ – (P.100).

The Poem “Why Poetry is still Written” – (P.22) explores the enduring purpose of poetry in a world filled with suffering and despair. The central theme is the conflict between the harsh realities of life and the persistent human need for creativity and expression through poetry. In spite of indifference, the poet continues to unite. While others face life’s hardships – (Scratch on the receding sand) the poet finds meaning in creation – (recites from Macbeth);

When others scratch
On the receding sand
On the life’s seashore- – (P.22)

The poem suggests a world where values erode and creativity struggles. An awakening reveals the true power of poetry. The poet’s imagination connects with human suffering through the favour of poetry. The poem argues that the profound connection between the poet’s imagination and the ‘bleeding human heart’ indicate that poetry can touch the core of human experience and emotions providing solace and insight:

One day awakens him
From a black coffin
Under the veil of eternity
To see his vast of imagination
Kissing the earth
In bleeding humans heart
For the favour of poetry – (P.23)

The other poems that are about poetry are ‘Nocturnal Ushering’ – (50), ‘A Prose poem’ – (51). ‘My poem’ – (68),’ Prelude to a Poetic Voyage’ – (87), ‘Ode to the World Poetry Day 2022’ – (100).

“A Prose Poem” presents a contemplative and philosophical exploration of human existence touching on the themes of passion, reason, morality, faith, impermanence and disillusionment, restlessness and unseen forces. The poem thus grapples with the difficulties of navigating a world filled with suffering, doubt and impermanence. It explores the human desire to hold onto faith and meaning even when reason and innocence are lost.

“My Poem” revolves around themes of resilience, awareness and the power of poetry:

Nothing can hurt me
If I’m aware
Yesterday’s wall writings’
Can dupe me today – (68)

An individual’s consciousness and vigilance can protect him from external influences. The metaphor of “ drunk with the hooch of dualism” suggests that surrendering to conflicting beliefs can tarnish one’s image but this can be avoided through self-control and clarity. The power of poetry is also emphasized in that poetry can be used as a tool for social commentary and reform. Poetry serves as a universal medium of expression and resistance;

My pen strikes
At the umbilicus
Where words meet up to stoke up
The never-ending flame
Of a Universal poem – (68)

“Prelude To A Poetic Voyage” – (87) explores the interaction between nature, the mind and poetry. It celebrates the freedom and enlightenment that poetry entails, while also acknowleding the fleeting nature of such transcendent moments.

The imagery of birds chirping after the rain is suggestive of rejuvenation and a natural cycle of renewal:

Birds chirping after rain
Delightful, melodious in its own way,
Stirs up nomadic vein – (87)

Liberation and openness are essential for the emergence of true poetry. The lines “barriers of mind smashed” and “tidal waves cross the borderline” symbolize breaking free from mental constraints. Poetic creation is portrayed as a sacred act and requires worshipping because it explores deeper truths.

The poem also refers to the ephemeral nature of life and art. The poem ends pointing to the fact that poetic creation transforms ordinary experiences into something profound and meaningful.

The poem “Ode to World Poetry Day, 2022” – (100) condemns war and powerlessness of people on the one hand and acknowledges the power of poetry as solace and a voice against brutality on the other.

The poem strongly criticizes war through the strong imagery of “weapons” “Battlefields”, “dead bodies” and “ruins”. The poem uses the metaphor of circus to portray how leaders – (Dada) manipulate people – (the viewers) with empty promises turned hoax.

Voters are depicted as passive viewers with “no view of their own” who simply laugh at the spectacle of war. The poem acknowledges that poetry isn’t a weapon but offers solace and a voice against brutality “Words of painful nights transferred into Day-long slogans in protest”.

The poem highlights the tragic consequences of war – (“Child offered before losing his father”) emotional damage – (“tear drops”), and a loss of joy – (“Winner is also a loser forgetting how to smile”).

The final image of missile splinter turning the victor’s heart ‘contrite’ offers a glimmer of hope that even those who wage war can be affected by its consequences.

The poem “Identifying God” – (55-56) explores the theme of the struggle to reconcile the beauty and mystery of creation with the silence and seeming indifference of God. The poet starts with the beauty and wonder of creation but hints at a “prodigal mind” seeking a response from the creator. Second stanza questions God’ existence. In the next stanza, he highlights unanswered prayers and a longing for connection with God in nature. The poet presents the speaker’s confusion in nature torn between the beauty and harsh realities of life:

Our prayers
Often abrasive, fruitless…
Our teardrops
Often fall flat – (55)

The poem doesn’t provide a definitive answer but explores the complex emotions and questions surrounding the idea of God and humanity’s place in the universe.

For there’s none to answer
Which texture to follow
When life abrupt wends its way
Facing the reality
As severe as a stormy night
Surreptitiously in wait. – (p.56)

Many other poems of similar ilk are ‘Incomprehensible’ – (33) referring to God’s incomprehensible nature. There are several other manifestations of divinity. Sacred rivers, chanting of psalms, the primordial sound of Om and a foresight of something ominous to happen. The following poems directly and indirectly deal with the above mentioned themes:

“Mother Ganges” – (37);” The Eternal Spectrum” – (48, God is eternal)” Precursory Psalm” – (59), “Premonition-1” – (78), “Preemonition-2” – (70) and “Om” – (95).

There are two poems about corona. They are “The Covid Warriors” – (89) and “Corona Fourth Wave” – (90). The poem “The Covid Warriors” explores the theme of resilience and heroism in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic.

It portrays the relentless efforts and sacrifices of healthcare workers and other front line responders who are fighting against the virus, despite numerous challenges and adversities. The Poem ends on a hopeful note, asserting that the determination of the Covid warriors will eventually prevail. The metaphor of Yamaraj’s buffalo retreating symbolizes death and destruction being driven back by the persistent efforts of these warriors:

It’s certain
The buffalo of Yamaraj
Is bound to retreat
Sacred of the covid warriors on the move,
For they have still ‘miles to go’. – (P.89)

The poem” Corona Fourth Wave” – (90) explores themes of separation, longing and the disruptive impact of the covid-19 pandemic on human relationship and emotions:

When it rains to envelop
A Corona-prone lockdown-hit cityscape,
Some people dive into nostalgic feel;
Some others in ecstatic thrill revel
No, not unmindful
How corona has triggered off
Its third wave…. – (P.90)

The phrase ‘containment zone’ symbolizes both physical and emotional confinement. The characters in the poem are “worried” and unsure “how to meet again”, indicating a sense of anxiety and helplessness in reconnecting with loved ones amidst the restrictions.

The Poem “Eclectic Depiction” – (86) reflects on the human experiences exploring the limitations of language, the power of inner experience and the bittersweet reality of our existence within a larger, mysterious universe.

The speaker emphasizes the difference between physical experience and deeper understanding. They don’t need the moon to feel moonlight or a physical God to feel close to a higher power. This focuses on the power of internal experience and intuitions.

The abstract concepts like “the splendor of lotus smile” and “scorched grass in a barren field” can have an emotional impact. The understanding goes beyond the literal.

The sense of oneness in all things is described in the connection to all other living beings and depict themselves as a universal being.

The speaker laments a song “unsung yet”, a life “incomplete” and a realization that came “too late”. There is a sense of missed opportunities.

The poem ends with the image of leaves falling, some “wavering in the cradle of solitude” and others swept by a “sudden gale”. This indicates forces that are beyond human control and the vast unknown that surrounds us.

The poem “Hello India 2024” – (73) depicts a poignant picture of the condition of the rural Indian population leading a life of poverty, lack of resources and limited opportunities for improvement. It questions the effectiveness of development plans in reaching these who truly need them.

The phrase “Indians countryside awaiting a facelift” with “Achhe Din” – (good days) sets up a contrast. The promise of progress appears to be hollow against the backdrop of the farmer’s struggles:

Indian countryside
Awaiting a facelift
In tune with Acche Din
Hundred day’s work
Too scant to absorb
Surplus labour. – (73)

The poem paints the harshness of rural life through details like,”surplus labour; “dry sullen” land and “heatwave embitters”.

The countryside people even lack basic needs of life such as “a morsel of food” and “thirst for water”. The question “who can slake it destroying nature” poses the dilemma between development and environmental impact.

The crows forgetting to shriek suggests a level of despair so deep that even the scavengers fall silent:

Even the crows forget shrieking
When hunger and thirst
Subtly merge into one another
Before the Sun
Just on looking….helpless… – (73)

The wife leaving for distant water and the husbands bleeding hands for meager wages portray the sacrifices made just to survive.

The poem ends with a note of hopelessness. The empty pitcher reflects the emptiness of hope where neither a good afterlife nor a comfortable life seems attainable.

The theme of the “Wrapped Musings” – (14) moves around the contrast between the temporary and the eternal. The fleeting elements listed are the ever changing night sky, the migratory “wild geese”, changeable nature of mercurial night, the disappearing impermanent fields, spewing smoke of mundane life, the flickering candle flame and the pangs of the temporary experience of separation – (momentary detachment) contrasting with these fleeting moments are the eternal ones.

They are halo of being – (i.e. a spiritual essence), tint of infinity and epitomizing a timeless truth, eyes of existences – (higher awareness) and lastly the aroma of eternal love which is enduring and unchanging transcending the temporary:

The black shade beneath
The shade of tussle and turmoil
Turned towards
The eyes of existence
Sleepless, restless
Even if the night ends
Realizing the aroma of eternal love
In the pangs of momentary detachment

By contrasting these elements, the poem explores the human desire to find meaning and connection in a world of constant change. The speaker finds solace in the concept of eternal love amidst the passing moments of life.

The poem “Etching in Silence” – (88) explores the theme of silent suffering and resilience. The title hints at an inability to communicate directly suggesting the speaker’s pain is internal and unvoiced. The meaning of “Etching in Silence” is a slow, deliberate process of marking something down but the silence suggests this marking happens unseen and unheard.

The poem “the Infinite” – (82) explores the human desire to connect with something vast and unknowable, even as our limited selves struggle to comprehend it. The connection is possible through a change in perception and a sense of unity with the Infinite.

The poem starts with a reference to a long silence which creates a space for the soul to respond. This response is just a feeling, a momentum that awakens the senses. This awakening leads the speaker to the realization of infinite itself:

After a long spell
Of perceptible silence
The stillness inside
Becomes a momentum
It’s time
For the soul to respond,
Soul- the eternal force does
With no articulation…
The five senses are spurred on,
A thread of light is perceptible then… – (82)

The poem refers to the limitations and fragmentation of the self and lastly the connection between the individual and the infinite.

The short poem “Life Leaf” – (40) suggests that while we may oppose the change in life, but everything has its season and lastly, we must accept what is outside our control. It also refers to a cyclical nature of life, where emptiness can pave the way for future fulfillment. The poem explores the theme of acceptance and the inevitable cycle of life. The refusal of autumn leaves to drop symbolizes resistance to change, the wind represents the forces beyond our control. Life is compared to a goblet, but it has its limitations and cannot be always full. Life is characterized by both joy and sorrow as a goblet appears full and empty.

Not everything
In this world
Is self- willed?
Life- Goblet
Empty as much
As it appears
Fulfilled. – (40)

The poem “Repetitive” – (72) explores the perpetuity of carnal desire from the Age of Mahabharata to the present. “Fleshy Desire” is compared not with ‘camphor’ but with candle wax which does not evaporate in a moment but goes on burning for a longer period and when stops burning leaves a residue of wax. The image of candle for the long lasting carnal desire is quite apt and effective. There can be for and against arguments for the sustenance of carnal desire. But there are a set of people who accord religious sacredness to carnal desire and point out its repetitiveness in spite of some voices against it:

A wax-light
Burns the wick
Of fleshy desire,
Doesn’t vanish
Like camphor-
Gathers
Sensual residue
Of an insatiate thirst
Age after age
Beneath a candle,
A candle hallowing
The conscious self – (72)

Young age is generally associated with carnal desire. Hence the legendary Yayati prayed to God to grant him a long youthful life:

Yayati’s face gleamed
In lust morbid
To live young a long life – (72)

It’s true whether young or old or middle-aged, carnal desire lives; it repeats itself in spite of age.

The poem “Nature and Woman” – (70) uses vivid imagery and metaphors to portray a yearning for connection and the complex emotions that arise from communication at a distance. Thus the poem explores the theme of communication and connection amidst separation. The “unfinished story of love” hints at a lack of closure or on-going communication. The woman’s reflection on the water and the wind reacting to her emotions highlight nature as a mirror to her inner world, even when she is connecting with someone far away:

Soaking up sun rays
On the sea beach
She wakes up
To a cell phone call.
An unfinished story of love
Tinker with love’s sundown profile
The moon rises a bit early- – (70)

The game metaphor suggests a back and forth dynamic with both progress and setbacks possibly reflecting the nature of the dialogue.

The woman is trying to connect with her former lover and the natural world reflects the turmoil of her emotions. The closing lines where nature and the woman start enjoying their “snakes and ladders game” again implying a cyclical relationship with ups and downs like the game itself. This shows unpredictable nature and the on-going dance between human emotions and natural forces.

Thus the poem explores the themes of connection, contrasts, memory, sensuality and the cyclical nature of life through the intertwined relationship of a woman and the natural world.

To conclude, we can say that Manas Bakshi is a poet with a difference. He has created a niche for himself in the modern poets writing in English. He has an uncanny knack to create extraordinary poetry by choosing ordinary events and by using all kinds of imagery that is visual, auditory, olfactory and gustatory very effectively and relevantly. His poetry is a Disney land of images which places him at par with metaphysical poets of the 17th century. His poetry is an ocean of gems and to get the meaning, one has to make several dips. The more the reader dives, the more meaning he discovers. I enjoyed reading the poems and I am sure you will too if you decide to have the enjoyment.

Works cited

Brett, R.L. and A.R. Jones. Lyrical Ballads: Wordsworth and Coleridge. New York and London: 1963,1991.
Bakshi Manas. Dialogue at a Distance, New Delhi: Author press, 2024.