Every human on this planet will narrate a unique definition of poetry, evoking a concentrated imaginative awareness of experience or stimulating a response through figurative language chosen or arranged for its meaning, sound, rhythm, mood, tone, syntax and diction.
For poet-diplomat Abhay K, poetry is a spiritual exercise. His latest collection of poems titled ‘Stray Poems’ takes us on a poetic ride across the world, to the moon and the celestial bodies in our planetary system, then to the far reaches of the universe, and back to the magnificent mother planet Earth.
Written between 2010 and 2022, this collage on ‘Stray Poems’ was published by a Mumbai-based poetry publishing house- Poetrywala.
Expressing his fascination and affinity towards the universe and its elements, Abhay contrives his aspirational senses into his poems. His relation with his poems is personal. He stated, “They have no self-attachment, they are written over a period of a decade. That’s why I called them Stray poems. For me, poetry is a spiritual exercise. It is personal. It is my communion with the universe. From love, desire to universe–this collection of poems is diverse.”
Poet Abhay K. is the author of several other poetry collections including Monsoon, The Magic of Madagascar and The Alphabets of Latin America.
Besides, he is the editor of ‘The Book of Bihari Literature’. HarperCollins India will publish the book in October 2022 this year on the festive occasion of Diwali.
The ‘Stray Poems’ includes 66 poems on a wide array of topics ranging from the ruins of Nalanda University to the planetary anthems.
Talking about Abhay’s personal life, he was born and raised in Bihar. He studied at Delhi University and JawaharLal Nehru University. His language skills are profound as he speaks multiple languages including Magadhi, Hindi, English, Russian, Nepali and Portuguese.
Explaining the format of poems, Abhay K has chosen a crisp format. He said, “I mostly write in a series of couplets, mostly unrhymed. I don’t have any particular length for my poems. I let them grow naturally as much as they can grow, but most of my poems are short poems.”
Commenting on his recent release, Irish poet Gabriel Rosenstock said, “Abhay K. strikes such a cheerful, sensual and sunny note in so many of his individual poems…with a pure, ringing sound and rhythm all of his own.”
His poems have appeared in over 100 literary magazines including Poetry Salzburg Review and Asia Literary Review. His Earth Anthem has been translated into over 150 languages.
Meanwhile, Sri Lankan-American poet Indran Amirthanayagam, praising the work of the Indian diplomat Abhay K said, “He is a trusted guide to modern poetry, to the journey in which we are seeking truth, peace and justice.”
Kumar bagged the ‘SAARC Literary Award’ in the year 2013 and was invited to record his poems at the Library of Congress, Washington DC in 2018. His translations of Kalidasa’s ‘Meghaduta’ and ‘Ritusamhara’ from Sanskrit, won him the KLF Poetry ‘Book of the Year’ Award 2020-21. His upcoming literary work is translation of first Magahi novel titled ‘Fool Bahadur’.
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