Book Review : Silent Conversations by Jupinderjit Singh
Simrita Dhir
Posted On November 25, 2021
Award-winning journalist and author Jupinderjit Singh has now turned poet. His fourth book Silent Conversations happens to be a scintillating anthology of poems in which he explores the many shades of love. Love has always been a popular theme with poets. From Shakespeare to present-day bards, each generation of poets has sought to present new, refreshing perspectives on love. Jupinderjit Singh’s take on love is both acute and playful, artfully unfurling surprises and revelations. Each poem is an honest portrayal of a love-struck heart, at once vulnerable and brave.
An outstanding poem from the anthology is “Yearning” which talks about love and loss. The heartache that defines the poem is unmistakable in its intensity, the poet’s lines tugging on the readers’ heartstrings one word at a time.
Blood rushed to her lips
but they didn’t move
and neither did mine
for the silence between us
said it all
her eyes looked up at me
with water saline
that had welled up too in mine
Moving on after heartbreak is tremendously difficult and it is this tempestuous road that the poet has chosen to depict in some of his poems. One such poem that speaks profoundly about turning the page is “Turncoat” which highlights renewal and continuation of the circle of life, thereby celebrating the heart’s ability to heal and tread forward.
A rose opens its petals
to a new bee,
a chameleon changes its colour
to the new surroundings
the queen bee picks new drone bee in the hive after it just
sucked the life out of the old one
new leaves push the drooped wilted ones to the ground
and there, on the thorny bush, a snake has just shed its
skin
The poet projects moving on after heartache as being vital to the journey of life while also suggesting that though the beloved has gone, she continues to figure in the lover’s thoughts, lending him strength as he walks along life’s paths. The title poem “Silent Conversations” which embodies this sentiment stands out for its dignity and delicate handling of pathos.
I often see,
with open-and-closed eyes,
the walks we had,
hand in hand,
fingers entwined
on the crunchy bed of pine needles,
in the cosy wilderness of woods,
and I still hear,
the echo of our
silent conversations
Another unforgettable poem is “Torn Words” which showcases disillusionment in love, wherein the lover shreds in despair the very love letters that he had once so passionately woven for his beloved. The poem showcases how the ravages of time can make the fondest of hearts drift away from one another. Even as the lover tears the letters to pieces, he hopes eternal love would abound in another heart in another land.
The wheat crop in its fancy
The half–bloomed mustard
And some footmarks on the wet sand Crossing paths at a small puddle
there lay the torn words
Of love
The letters
The very hands which weaved them together tore them into pieces
on the stagnant water:
To mix into the sand
To be part of the land
Where love grew
And stayed
The poem that most seizes my imagination is “Touch” evoking in me the memory of the legendary folk heroine Sohni from the Punjabi love saga Sohni Mahiwal. When the poet refers to the risks the beloved undergoes to be with the lover, my mind visualizes the gutsy Sohni swimming across the tumultuous Chenab to see Mahiwal only to melt delicately into his arms on meeting him.
Through the dangerous ravine,
And the crocodile-infested river And past the snakes in the valley
She tiptoes to meet the lover
Ducking from the prying eyes
And the unknown dangers of the dark To climb past the chilly mountain
And meet her beloved
Braving all the perils,
Conquering her fear,
And unfazed all the way
But she trembles
Lo, behold! She trembles just at my touch.
Silent Conversations offers many a beautiful encounter with love through an exquisite array of poems. I recommend the anthology to everyone who enjoys poetry. Many congratulations to Jupinderjit Singh on his newest foray into the rhythmic landscape of poetry. May many more poems grace his pen.
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