The Australia-based Nepalese writer of considerable fame, one remarkable and admired writer in Nepalese diaspora, KedarPokharel has published BatoBhatkiyepachhi (After the Path Went Rack and Ruin) as his 6th book. His first anthology of poems Aama (Mother) was published in 2015. BatoBhatkiyepachhiis his second book of collection of poems.
The book, published in 2019, is an evocative and expressive 100-page anthology of poems. It crackles mainly with native wit aiming to purify the backward thoughts, mindsets, and corrupt practices of the society that have prevented the nation from advancing towards genuine prosperity, stability and peace. Consisting of 100 poems mostly notable for their realistic styleand conventional structure, it includes the poetry with social commentary, patriotic poems,satires, etc. They are trinity of originality, simplicity and technical excellence. Mostly informative, enlightening and didactic, they are metrically composed and some including the title poem are written in free verse and are suggestive. He is passionate about using typical Nepalese wordsand archetypal expressions. He appropriatelyusesboth literary and non-literary wordings.Most of his poems result from his feelings of indignation and pity for the innocent and ignorant sufferers. The untiring advocate of patriotism wrote of his country as a thinker, visionary, and a common citizen. Some are thoughtful meditations on romance, culture, human nature, etc. Overall,he uses poetry as a suitable instrument of moral refinement and satire as a medium to eradicate corruption and to expose the wickedand so-called people’s leaders.
Poem no. 5.देश कसरी बन्छ ? (How Does the country flourish?)
In this experimental poem, the five quintains (stanza of 5 lines) are followed by the concluding quatrain (stanza of 4 lines). The poet uses the rhetorical questions to engage the readers and draw their attention to the serious national issue. It is said that a great poet writing about himself is speaking of his motherland.
आफ्नै घरमा ढुंगा हाल्छ
अनि देश कसरी बन्छ?
क्षेत्र जम्मै क्षतविक्षत पार्छ
जिल्लाअंचल टुक्राई दिन्छ
भाई मारेर बहादुर बन्छ
साँध मागएर साढे हुन्छ
अनि देश कसरी बन्छ?
जनताको मुटुछोडेर पराईको पोल्टामा
गुटुमुटु भएको व्यक्तिआफुहरुलाई नेताभन्छ
हे पशुपतिनाथ !
तिमीनै भन योदे शकसरी चल्छ ?
Hurling stone at own house,
So then how does the country flourish?
The whole region torn apart
Let the District, zone disintegrate into parts
Murdering brothers, you become brave
On the borderline, you are a bull being backed by the foreign nationals
Abandoning the warm lap of people, wrapped in the alien’s blanket,
You call the unreliable man your leader
O’ Lord Pashupati!
Answer for Yourself how does the country function?
Poem no. 7 दीपावलीको शुभकामना (Greeting of festival of lights)
Containing 4 quatrains,it has the style or diction of prose, but it is composed in poetic metre with the elegant traditional rhythm and rhyme. Genuine poetry can communicate before it is understood.” Nobel laureate T.S. Eliot.
माग्दा गौरव गर्नुछैन अबता नेपालका हे सुत
कर्मी बन्न सके परिश्रम गरे लक्ष्मीरिझिन्छन्अब
आफ्नै पौरखले महानयदि भए जन्मे र भो सार्थक
अर्काको धनमा रमाउँछन भने त्यो जन्मनैव्यर्थ छ।
Good sons of Nepal, no need to pride yourself on begging
Goddess of wealth will be pleased, if you are hardworking
Become great with your own prowess, life is truly sensible
Birth that intends to revel in other’s wealth, are of no avail
.
Poem no. 13,जयपृथ्वी (Hail Prithvi)
Organised in five quatrains,it is a story in verse with historical references. The closing stanza embodies the patriotic spirit. Famed English Romantic poet Shelley said, “Poetry, in a general sense, may be defined as the expression of the imagination. To be a poet is to apprehend the true and beautiful.”
भाँच्नुहुन्न जोड्नुपर्छ
फुट्नुहुन्न जुट्नुपर्छ
लखाकीको अर्थ बुझ्नुपर्छ
विखण्डनवादलाई जयपृथ्वी तिर मोड्नुपर्छ।
Not to break, togetherall need to be joined,
Not to be divided, all need to be united
We should make sense out of Thick Thread.
The _ism of disintegration, to ‘Hail King Prithvi’should be diverted.
Poem no. 28. बाटो भत्किएपछि (After the Path Went Rack and Ruin)
The title or defining poem written in free verse encompasses four stanzas with variations in lines. The elements in great poetry such as the overall central theme, images, diction and form are taken reasonably into consideration. He uses imagery or visual images and cadence to create a lyrical emotion. Poetry is said to have a power to inspire. It does not mean that it can only communicate direct experiences and clear thoughts. The message may not be explicitly stated.When implication or underlying messagerises to the surface,the readers willfind the poem worth reading.
उसलाई थाहाछ जिवनयात्रा हो
निरन्तरताको गति हो, प्रगति हो।
उसले हिँडेको तेर्सो बाटो एकाएक उकालो भयो
सकी –नसकी उक्लिरह्यो – उक्लिरह्यो।
उसले बुभ्यो –
उकालाको गतिकै उन्नति हो
चढिसकेको उकालोनै रमाईलो हो।
रमाउँदा – रमाउँदैअकस्मात्
उहिडेकोबाटो भत्कियो –
उसको बाटो मुसल धारे बर्षाले बगायो
अथवा
महाप्रलयले खायो।
प्रलयसँग मृत्युमा त्रडराउँछ
उ जीवन हो
जीवनको बाटो कहिले हराउँछ ?
उसले लंकाको भन्दापनि लामो पुल बनायो
पुल समुन्द्रले बगायो
समुन्द्रले अवशिष्ट बाटो पनि खायो
भवसागरको किनारामा ठिङ्ङउ भिएको
उसको पहाड
अजेय यात्री हो, उ
उसले नयाँ गन्तब्य बनाएको छ।
उ अनन्तको यात्रामा छ
उस्वयम अनन्त हो
अनन्त महाविष्णु
उसले महाप्रलयलाई पनि त्राहिमां बनाएको छ।
अनन्तो वैब्रम्हा
यात्रीअनन्तब्रम्हा हो
उसको यात्रा अनन्त छ
उसको लक्ष्य अनन्त छ
अनन्त जीवको अनन्त यात्राजारी छ
‘Tis in his knowledge,
Life viewed as the journey
Continuity of speed and progress
All of a sudden, the way he trod turned diagonal
Dawned the knowledge upon him
The speed of steepness is progress,
Fun is the slope already climbed
While rejoicing and rejoicing,
The path he was following
Was washed away by the torrential rain
Or swallowed by the Great Dissolution
Only death fears dissolution
He is life,
Does any ever lose way of life?
He built the bridge longer than that of Lanka.
The bridge carried away by the sea
Did not spare the remaining path
Standing steadfast on the bank of the sea of sorrows
His mountain
Invincible traveller he is,
Has made a new destination for himself,
He is on endless journey
Himself is infinity
Eternal Mahabishnu,
Indestructible and everlasting
He has terrorized even the Great Dissolution
Timeless is Brahma, the creator,
Traveller is eternal Brahma,
His journey is eternal
His desire is eternal
The eternal being’s eternal journey goes on.
Poem no. 35 माटोको माया (Love of Native Soil)
The poem containing Seven stanzas shows his deep attachment with the true homeland and appeal all to pay the debt to the native soil which can offer all the best happiness and peace of mind. It is said that the best poems are written in the writers’ own particular voice. This is because poetry, for the writer and the reader, is about relevance and vision.This poem is resulted from his deep sense of nationalism and integrity.
म मेरो जन्मभूमीको माटो खेलाउदा खेलाउदै मर्न चाहन्छु।
म धेरै माटोमा पुरिएँ भने, महा मृत्युन्जय हुन्छु
मेरो प्रिय सन्तानहरु !
मलाई मेरैमाटोमा पुरेरत हेर !
I deeply wish to die playing with the native soil
If I be buried, I will gain immortality.
My beloved off springs, see what happens
When you put me in the ground and cover with beloved earth
Poem no.41,फौज्दार गाउँFaujdarGaun
In the poem that includes five stanzas with regular rhyme scheme, he enhances the meaning by recalling memories of his past experience next to heart that provokes thoughts and feelings in the readers and appeals their emotional responses.
तिर्खा मेट्नु पर्यो भने कलकली झर्ना सधै बग्दछ
जात्रा जानु पर्यो भने झलझली त्यो शीतल आउँछ।।
यात्रा गर्नुपर्र्यो भने सडकले बाबू।भनी चुम्दछ।
न्यास्रो, मेट्नु पर्र्यो भने नि बाल्यबयको फौज्दारको गाउँछ।।
When to quench thirst, the waterfall always, down thereburbles
When to go to the religious local festival, there existscoolness
To set out for the journey, the path kisses, ‘little boy’to you it calls
To remove the boredom, FaujdarGaunof the childhood there stands
Poem no.55.नरिसाउनुस्है! (Please Don’t Get Angry!)
Consisting of four stanzas with varied lines, it has been written imaginatively, creatively and descriptively using vivid language showing the flair for the appropriate blending of sound and meaning. A vein of satirical frustration and anger directed to the leaders runs though this poem with the genuine appeal to them just to be watch dogs.
तपाईले गर्दा देश बिग्रियो,
तपाँई नगर्नुस्त,
न देश बिग्रिन्छ न टुक्रिन्छ
खालि तपाँई खबरदार! भन्दै बस्नुहोस्
यत्ति भएपुग्छ।
Please Don’t Get Angry!
The country in ruins
Please you don’t do it,
Neither it’s torn apart nor disintegrated
You just remain alertingus, ‘Take Care!’
That’s enough indeed.
Poem no.61. कला, संस्कृति र साहित्य (Art, Culture and Literature)
In this metrical composition, he writes on the theme of culture and literature. The four quintains are followed by the concluding quatrain. He uses the rhyming and rhythmic patterns in the concluding couplet like in Shakespearean sonnets.
कला भनेको शिप र कौशल हो/ संस्कृति भनेको परिष्कृत कार्य हो कला कै स्थायी रुप हो
विभिन्न जातिको पहिचान हो/मान्छेले यसलाई जीवन जतिकै माया गर्छ।
साहित्य लेखन र पठन दुवै/ जीवनको लागि हुन्छ
कलाविहीन मान्छे, मान्छे हुँदैन
संस्कृतिविनाको जाति, जाति हुँदैन
साहित्यविनाको भाषा, भाषा हुँदैन हुँदैन
साहित्य त्यो हुँदै हुँदैन
जसले पाठको अन्तस्करण छुँदै छुँदैन
Art is skill and craftsmanship
Culture is refined work, also a permanent form of art
Identity of various castes
People love it like life itself.
Culture of writing and reading literature
Is both for life’s sake.
Without art a man is not man in a real sense
Likewise, without culture a caste is not culture
Absence of literature, language is not language in the least
That literature is not literature at all
That does not touch the inner depth of human emotion.
