Just as I thought I was done with the ash-berries tossed at me by the departing year, suturing up my tattered ego with a ghazal in the reigning obscurity, Mr D. P. Dash ruffled the quiet of my languid existence. Dash is a blogger who writes at ‘One Life is Not Enough’, but he didn’t stop at that and went ahead to self-publish his oeuvres, the latest being a book of verses so refreshing the droplets are still sticking to my mind.
‘Teach me to dream’ is a collection of jaunty poems written in a workaday diction that is blithely lucid. Unlike many practitioners of poetry, Dash doesn’t adorn the stream of his thoughts with symbols and motifs often. His is a candid style, crisp and direct, but it has none of the jarring monotony plaguing a host of present day poets. The movement of his syllables is rhythmic, canopy of thoughts intense, and progression of ideas startling. Lyrical and fluid to the core, there is no lesser poem in this collection of verses.
Dash is an ardent admirer of Sufi sensibility, and Cherry Blossom trees symbolising the Japanese sense of aesthetics. His fascination for haikus is writ large on his compositions, but unlike the faithless hordes of poets vomiting freely on the Internet, he has woven a string of pearls worthy of his devotion and influences.
Dash often alludes to Rumi in his poems and elsewhere. That he is a worthy disciple is evident in the very first instalment titled ‘summer —a longing’:
as i wait for you
the short nights seem so long
but i know you will not come
neither can i
i have only a vague idea
of where you are
Soon after that, in ‘your sweet absence’, he croons,
the invitation is yet to come
but i am ready on my way
shameless
in my lack of discretion
hoping to rise with you
i fall again and again
The one that stole my heart though is the ‘micropoem’ called ‘Immortality’:
Life after life
She held back her favours
All I asked was a moment
To sneak into immortality
I will be remiss to convey the impression that his strains are devoid of imagery altogether. This is how he opens the piece titled ‘on her departure’:
full of flowers and foliage
the gulmohur is here
to deliver a message of condolence
The subtitle of the anthology is ‘songs of love, longing and freedom’. ‘Freedom’, as Dash would have it, has wider connotations. He has taken potshots at entrenched hypocrisies, satirised institutions and indulged in witticisms. Of special note are the ‘micropoems’ signed off as ‘Mad Charvak’, in which he is at his irreverent best:
Wine, women, spa, cinema
Temples, Ashram, Social service, Himalayas
Gatherings vulgar, or gatherings religious
Mad Charvak says I do not rank escapes
Elsewhere, he has lampooned the ‘trade secret’ of wars, an obsession of regimes world over.
Be it the songs of yearning or parting, backhanded compliment to the customs and mores, or the blunt, in-your-face gibes of ‘Mad Charvak’, the strains of Dash are memorable for the haiku like aphorisms and Sufi-like turn of phrase, and for the stunning visions that a single tercet can prise open, or the breathlessness of the couplet of a humourist-reformist.
One Grain Amongst the Storm 
This is a great honour for me, coming from a connoisseur of poetry and literature. Thank you so much. Thank you also for your review on Amazon.
When it comes to poetry, I am just a catchpenny. More than review, I have posted my sentiments on going through your anthology. I am happy to be of service, my friend.
You have made me become a follower of Mr Dash…
‘Mad Charvak’ says, never follow madmen and poets, but always follow the music of their hearts.
Nice poetry and good review
Thanks for stopping by and smiling upon us.
A good read!
He is a natural poet, Mr Dash.
An excellent advocacy, Uma
Regardless of your influence and consequences, you must bat for the worthy from time to time.
🙂
A worth review of what seems likes a worthy book. Of course I am a bit obtuse when it comes to poetry in general except for a lay appreciation of your skill with Ghazals. But can sense this book must be good.
It’s a refreshing read, Karthik. Much better than many of the celebrated authors of both prose and verse.
You’re such a kind and generous writer, Uma. Dash’s words have sparked an interest. I’ll hop over and check out more of his work. Thanks 🙂
I hope to be fair Vicki, although what I believe to be fair is my personal set of values. I am happy to introduce Dash.
Excellent review, excellent poetry.
Best of luck with your new book, Mr. Dash!
Thank you so much
You are welcome!
Reblogged this on One Life is not Enough and commented:
Deeply honoured by this review.
A passionate review Uma, I will certainly check out the book and the blogger.
His greatest weapon is simplicity, not an easy medium to master, as evidenced by mountain-loads of crap heaped upon the readers on a daily basis.
What a beautiful way to sum up 2017 on your blog Uma Shankar. I really enjoyed what you wrote and Durga Prasad’s posts. Wishing you and your family a very happy new year. Look forward to regular posts from you!
Dash is a thinker and it reflects in his writing both prose and verse. As for summing up, I guess I tried to do that in my previous post ‘Years in the Ash’. Well, sort of. I am ready with a reinforced resolve to deliver in the New Year.
Wish a Dazzling New Year to you and your family too.
A fine beginning for the New Year…I’ll be teaching a poetry workshop in February and can now add new breadth to it…thank you, Uma…and Happiest New Year!
To me, the New Year is yet to begin. Brace up for long posts, please!
Those are some nice poems!
I thought so.
What an eloquent endorsement! 🙂
Happy 2018, USP. 🙂
Wish a marvellous New Year to you too.
Great Review Uma ! And who better than you to review a book on poetry
It is certainly one of the better compilations I have read of late.
It’s good to have a poet sans unnecessary verbal embellishments in the name of being poetic and colloquialisms being cheered as modern/ free verse!
Liked the imagery of Gulmohar blooming to offer condolences…succinct, crisp and beautiful..just like your review. 🙂
It’s very lovable, his poetry. Many thanks for stopping by.
What a fantastic review!