Title: The Speaking Stone, A Collection of Poems
Author: Pravat Kumar Padhy
Publisher: Authorspress, 2020
Poetry is the language of the soul. As the world battles with a global
pandemic which has no end in sight, poetry is perhaps the only respite we have
to help us stay sane and survive during these trying times.
The Speaking Stone by
Pravat Kumar Padhy is a poetry collection that makes you ponder and reanalyse
everything around us including all that we have taken for granted till now –
the environment, nature, our planet Earth and most importantly our lives.
Spread across forty-two poems, Padhy manages to string together various
emotions and brings forth the magic of the enigma called life,
beautifully.
Pravat Kumar Padhy is an award-winning poet whose work has been showcased
across the world. With seven collections of verses to his credit, he also holds
a place of honour in World’s Who’s Who.
Flipping through these poems, you realise the deep value Padhy has for art
and literature. His writings reflect the strong urge to redefine life and its
magnanimity. The title The Speaking Stone seems
to have taken inspiration from the old adage — “What if the stones/ rocks could
speak?” Taking this saying further, Padhy has penned down the plethora of
answers possible, if the stones could speak. What would they tell us and why —
is the gist of the whole collection.
The poems featured in this collection range widely from human life to
nature, from love to survival instinct, from greed to necessity and from merely
existing to living. Some of his poems recount how one should cease to exist
within the narrow boundaries of the society and explore life beyond those
predefined boundaries. Others question the very existence of a man.
“In the
string of evolution
We all are
living particles of vibration
Musing the
time to an infinite point
As time
has neither a beginning nor an end.”
After reading some of the works of Padhy, one cannot help but wonder at the
materialistic hunger which consumes a human being to an extent that it
threatens to lead to self-destruction and yet refuses to die. What is that
pushes a man to keep chasing goals? How much is enough? Is money the ultimate
power which makes a man truly invincible or is it power? Are some of the
questions that haunt you long after the book is over.
Life has different meaning for different individuals and still, at the core
it remains an enigma for all of us. Moving beyond the parameters of religion
and philosophy, Padhy tries to indulge in a genuine conversation with the
reader which is both, stimulating and evocative.
“The sun
never differentiates
Whether it
is north or south
East or
west.
It blazes
itself to enlighten the world.”
Amidst all of this, he doesn’t fail to remind us, how in the eyes of the
Almighty creator we are one. Beyond the barriers of caste, creed, religion and
colour, lies one thing that binds us all – a heart full of love and hope.
“The sense of belonging
Is rusted
under his skull
In the
crowd of diversities,
We are
busy nailing
Nameplates
of rich and poor,
Forgetting
oneness
Of the entire human being.”
At a time, when we stand divided into fragments by our own thoughts, this
collection is an imperative read. It urges us to look deeper within ourselves
and explore the larger definition of life. Padhy motivates us to move beyond
the ordinary and look for that extra, which can make our lives extra-ordinary.
His powerful verses remind us the biggest religion above all is that of
humanity. And his words denote the power of kindness and empathy, the
much-needed elements for survival in today’s scenario. To conclude, it is
a read that shakes you, moves you and leaves you convinced that love alone,
shall triumph at the end of it all.
Namrata is a lost wanderer who loves
travelling the length and breadth of the world. She
lives amidst sepia toned walls, fuchsia curtains, fairy lights and shelves full
of books. When not buried between the pages of a book, she loves blowing
soap bubbles. A published author she enjoys capturing the magic
of life in her words and is always in pursuit of a new country and a new
story. She can be reached at privytrifles@gmail.com.
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