In The Art of Travel 24 December 2021
Poetry in Parenthesis
Ken Hickson reviews of “Where Fires Rage” and “In One Breath” by Sanjay C. Kuttan
I’ve found a word which, in my mind, suggests a creative partnership, where a parent (or other relative) influences a child to pursue an artistic endeavour, similar to his/her own. Ideally, they create some work together, or even inspire each other to launch forth into the unknown universe of the arts.
To play. To write. To draw. To conceive. To produce.
I call it parenthesis. To me it near perfectly describes the poetic partnership between Sanjay Kuttan and his mother Rosaly Puthucheary.
It was only recently when I discovered that Sanjay had such an literary bent. I had to ask where this came from, as his work in the world of energy and shipping was hardly expected to ever inspire poetry – in motion or otherwise!
So when you realise that his mother is a well-known poet, published author and teacher, that helps to solve the poetry puzzle. He admits that he started writing at the age of 15, after being inspired by his mother.
But that still doesn’t explain how he’s found the time and inclination to fit this sort of writing into his busy routine, when working for global organisations, like Exxon Mobil and McKinsey. Or in Singapore for GCMD and many other organisations better known by their acronym: EMA, SMI, NTU and DNV.
So I reconsidered the word parenthesis and discovered in my old faithful Roget’s Thesaurus that it can also be associated with discontinuity, interruption, episode, rhapsody, gap, and even broken thread.
Sounds and words that suggest artistic expression to me, and also clues as to how Sanjay could willingly tear himself away from day to day drudgery – or devotion to duty – to allow his creative energy to flow.
That’s enough of a preamble. What about the poetry he produces?
As a writer, editor and author (of 7 books of non-fiction), I have to admit that I’m not at all skilled in the art of poetry criticism. I am often called on to review books of all sorts, for all ages. As a book lover, I do this willingly.
But as I agreed to look at and review Sanjay’s books, I thought it wise turn to other authorities, better equipped than me to assess his poetry.
When my friend Professor Kirpal Singh – poet extraordinary himself and literary critic – speaks so highly of Sanjay’s work and agrees to put some wise words of wisdom as an introduction to his latest work, I sit up and take notice.
Kirpal describes Sanjay’s pseudohaiku in the book ‘In One Breath’ as “a glorious success of the written word”.
He goes on to comment on at least ten of Sanjay’s short haiku-like pieces.
What’s good enough for Kirpal and Sanjay is good enough for me, so I will tempt fate and my literary reputation, to make some personal observations.
In “Where Fires Rage” – first published in 2010 – Sanjay writes about anger, we read frustration, we sense loneliness, we feel hope and we see light. Often we hear a voice which cries out “listen to me for I have something to say. You’ve not heard it from me before”.
That rings true of Sanjay, as I’ve not read that into his writing before. And now I know why he inscribed in the front of the book he gave me to review: “I hope something in here resonates”.
Yes, a lot does resonate. His poetry hits the mark. It make me think about life on earth and its imperfections. Love and hope. Dreams. And about writing. The point of it. The hidden depths of feeling. The purpose of it all.
Sanjay’s poetry certainly doesn’t come across as the work of novice on a new literary excursion. It has maturity. It has depth. It has feeling. It reads like he means what he says.
Far removed from the world of energy, shipping and other mundane day to day tasks – important as they are – Sanjay’s words definitely resonate, as he reflects on the realities of life. And his words give us hope, even though he doesn’t refrain from expressing his disgust at some of the the injustices he sees in the world.
This is particularly evident in his two Tiananmen poems which appear in ‘Where Fires Rage’
But let me select one short – less edgy – piece from this collection which resonates with me, as someone who watches the weather and writes about climate:
Clouds
Hovering above, below the heavens
in shades of white and grey,
loafing along empty skies,
with silver linings everyday,
an occasional tear, a spot of shade,
amorphous forms for mental play.
There’s another twelve lines to absorb and then he finishes with:
For heaven nonchalantly gazes back,
from a distance sees an embroidery
of decadence and tears.
That’s enough to give a good impression of Sanjay’s first published/printed book of poetry.
But what about the latest? His first attempt at the Japanese art of haiku – or what he chooses to call pseudohaiku.
This is all new to me, however I‘ve now read every word and every piece, short as they are.
For a new haiku reader like me, the introductions and explanations from Sanjay himself, as well as from knowledgeable others, like Kirpal, go a long way to enhance the work.
Sanjay explains: “I have pre-ambled each section with a poem to try to set the scene for the collection of haiku within each theme, to give a sense of my mindset and prepare your mindset as you discover and uncover each haiku”.
That’s helpful. But you can also – as a newcomer to this very disciplined form of poetry – just read it as you like. Sample the tasty morsels. And maybe wish for more.
As with his first book of poetry, Sanjay doesn’t avoid controversial subjects ‘In One Breath’.
The pithy poetry tackles, among other subjects: abuse, 9/ll, George Floyd, dormitories, suicidal, depression and lockdown.
But while we might regularly read these words in newspaper headlines, Sanjay’s not all about angst or upsetting current affairs.
In his final section, headlined The World, he has produced eighteen pieces, covering all sorts of natural phenomena.
Let me conclude, as Sanjay does, with:
Wishing star
Still shining in death,
across the darkened night sky,
stars keep us hopeful.
Sanjay Kuttan, the poet, certainly gets us thinking. But we can also just quietly absorb his words and his way with words.
We can also enjoy the experience as a reader, for Sanjay gives us hope. And whether you’re a mature reader (or writer) or not, he shows what’s possible.
None of us should feel constrained by work, by environment, by daily pressures, by lack of confidence in our ability. Let our dreams come to life.
For Sanjay shows what’s possible. He also shows that there’s more than one side to everyone.
This multi-faceted professional is a poet at heart.
Note: I’m also looking forward to getting my hands and eyes onto his mother’s latest book ‘My Father’s Untold Story’, since Sanjay introduced me to ‘The Call to Poetry’ by Rosaly Puthucheary. I will attempt to review and/or report on both in The Art of Travel in the near future.