What is the truth of poetry? In other words, what is poetry itself? A subject which is discussed a lot is not a new theme. In fact all societies and intellectuals have their own thoughts on this issue. Intellectuals of our contemporary period feel that poetry should talk about the realities of society, reality means the rawness and the cruelty we see around us. At the same time a large number of people still enjoy poetry in lyric, appreciate beauty and imagination in filmy style. I sometimes wonder -- the critic says that poetry should be of people related to the earth, but the earth belongs to so many other creatures, like earthworms, worms, snakes, lizards, spiders and so on. Romantic poetry was poetry that devoted itself to the beautiful things around us – the romantic poets talked a lot about flowers, butterflies, clouds, mountains and the innumerable things in nature that stirred the sense of beauty in human beings and inspired them to appreciate the wonderful creations of this world. Truly speaking, poetry has in the real sense ignored those who are close to the earth. In our selfishness, we think for ourselves, only for ourselves; with this state of mind, how can we think for or about others who are closer to the earth than us?

Now there is another problem – in contemporary poetry, if someone writes on flowers, trees, clouds, and birds, he /she will be cast out from the society of poets because romantics have no place in contemporary literary poetry. It is a pity that we have not left any place for the wonderful earthly creatures that enrich and beautify our imagination. Where are the trees for birds, where after all is the place for trees in our modern cities? The song of a bird is bound to be different if she has to sit on the electric pole and sing!

I have been in Kalady for the last few months; this is a place which has not yet fallen prey to urban development. So the university here is fortunate enough to have a large compound. I stay in the hostel in this big university compound. I was astonished to realise that I did not know so many things about my fellow living beings  Like – trees talk a lot in the evening, a flower does not change shade and smiles even in the hot sun, and it gets tired only after sunset. I saw the flight of birds change according to their moods and their geometry is not bad. I could feel that the beauty of each leaf and grass is unique and cannot be seen in another.

I thought of poetry, can I write about flowers, leaves, birds…No .. No, I will be certainly thrown out of the society of poets since they expect me to write on pain and sorrow, of the common man. I do not deny that I must write about those subjects, but can I ignore these beautiful images completely? An incident comes to my mind in this context, a great poet and editor of our time asked me to stop writing about the middle class woman and write on the woman from the lower classes like fisherwomen, vegetable vendors and such others. My problem is that I cannot classify them as belonging to the lower class; moreover, they are my teachers who taught me to live a life. I know that they may not have money or so many facilities like me, but they have so much which I do not have.
For me, I am comfortable when I write what I understand and I am fully involved  in the passions and emotions portrayed. And I understand that the pain of a woman is the same, whatever caste, community or creed they belong to. However, I was cast out from the list of that great poet!

I am still trying to understand what poetry is and what is its truth?

May be Kritya is a way to seek this truth.

Friends, in this issue we are presenting Saso Tham, a great Khasi poet from the eastern part of India , and in the section In The Name Of Poetry, Kynpham Singh Nongkynrih, a contemporary Khasi poet, is talking about him. As Editors Choice, we are bringing an intelligent poet Greg Brownderville, and in Poetry in Our Time we have a variety of poems. I am sure our readers will enjoy reading this issue of Kritya.

The artist of this month is our well known Vijendra Vij, he is getting married to a poet. Kritya wishes him a happy married life. The sketches made by Krishnakumar Ajanabi are thought provoking.

I wish you all happy reading and writing.

Rati Saxena

The poems, articles and reviews published in Kritya are received by e-mail. The views, themes etc. expressed therein are solely those of the respective writers, and not of the publishers or editors of Kritya. The credentials of the writers are those that they provide via e-mails and most of the writers are not personally known to the publishers and editors.