Daily Times

Eighth book ‘Surmai Neend Ki Bazghasht’ (echoes of antimonial or grey sleep) in succession, the earlier seven after having achieved international recognition, comprises Nasri Nazms (prose poems) by eminent poet Naseer Ahmad Nasir. The book is printed in fine quality white paper, title covered by Aalia Mirza, with a painting of an entrance door and a lady standing near the side lamp. The book was published in December 2017, dedicated to poet Anwaar Fitrat. Naseer Ahmad realises that the end is near, so he does not desire to sleep. He requests the poem to stay with him, and rise at dawn with him and the birds (first poem in the book has been titled ‘Main Parindon Ki Tarha Tuloo Hona Chahta Hun’, meaning ‘I want to rise like the birds’).

The bitter reality of India blocking our waters in the Punjab Rivers, with hardly any water even for the boats to float on, has been depicted by Naseer in the poem ‘Naao Paani Ki Maut Sei Darti Hei’ (the boat is afraid of the death of water). The opening stanza says, “Nao Kei Liye Paani Zuroori Hei/Woh Lakri Ki Ho Ya Kaghaz Ki/Usse Behne Kei Liye Paani Chahiye/Paani Usse Lazat-e-Safar Ki Intihaoun Tak Lei Jaata Hei/Naye Jazeeron, Nai Aabnaun Ki Sair Karata Hei/Nao Paani Sei Pyaar Karti Hei” (Water is a must for the survival of a boat, whether made of wood or paper. Water takes her to the extremes of a journey/Introduces her to new waters and islands/A Boat, therefore, is in love with the water) – Page 14. This is a typical illustration of a prose poem, also known as prose poetry, a hybrid genre of writing. Prose poems occur when someone writes prose using poetry techniques.

Naseer is quite honest in sticking to one’s roots. In a poem titled ‘Hum Baraani Log Hain’ (we are people of an agrarian society) – Page 18, he explains how such people do not leave their fields and weathers; they stick to their green graveyards, and the pesticide sprays do not affect their greenery. Even if such people live in the cities, they are not afraid of the scorching sun or heavy rains. Their doors are wide open, yards spacious and verandas long. They are neither one nor two, in number. They have a tall tree protecting their backs. They are those pieces of land that cannot be identified by computers. In order to explore them, a census shall have to be made of the sun and the earth. Rural inhabitants are mentally strong as well as robust in physique, establishes Naseer. Such people feel imprisoned in the cities.

Naseer also writes a poem for villagers, titled ‘Dehation Ka Geet’ (the song of villagers) – Page 45. He praises their hospitality. He says that they avoid taking medicine and hate hospitals. The villagers love treading long paths, enjoy long afternoons, and watch the dawn without wearing spectacles. Villagers pay back the loan of the land in one go. The poet is so fed up with city life that he complains in the poem ‘Sheher Mujhe Maar Kar Hi Chore Ga’ (the city is bent upon killing me) – Page 236 – that wherever he goes, the city is travelling with him. Even if he waits for a friend in his drawing room, the city enters with him and spreads itself on the sofas and chairs. It interferes in his conversation in the shape of pickets, alternate routes, searches, bomb blasts, sit-ins and rallies. It makes the atmosphere heavy. He wonders at what time the city goes to bed! The city entices him for bribery and pressurises him to do corruption when he goes to office. When he goes to the park or even to the graveyard or to the courts, he finds a normal citizen with torn shoes looking for justice. The teaching institutions that used to be spread in acres are now confined to bungalows in the streets. The city therefore flourishes in banks, plazas, super markets and new housing schemes instead of in minds, hearts and books.

Accounts of Gautam’s life, discourses and monastic rules are believed by Buddhists to have been summarised after his death and memorised by his followers. Various collections of teachings attributed to him were passed down by oral tradition and first committed to writing about 400 years later. Naseer Ahmad Nasir dares him to visit Gaza, Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan as well as Karachi and Quetta to witness the terrorists’ bomb blasts and see the carnage for himself

A poem titled ‘Kachre Kei Dhair Pei Laawarris Nauzaida’ (a new born on a heap of garbage) – Page 241, dedicated to late Abdul Sattar Eidhi is a bitter and cruel reality in which a new born is thrown away in the garbage, and he awaits Baba Eidhi to come and give new life to his half eaten body. The disgruntled poet starts believing that God is now perhaps confined to holy places only. He says “Khuda Wahid-e-Haqeeqi Hei/Usse Kaya Pari Hei/Keh Woh Insanon Ki Tarha Tukre Tukre Ho Kar/Jooton Aur Kapron Kei Saath Idher Udher Bikher Jaye?” (God is one. Why should he bother to disintegrate and scatter human body parts, shoes and clothes during a blast?).

Naseer Ahmad Nasir travels centuries in his thought process. Poems ‘Gloria Jeans Main Shaam’ – Page 23, ‘Pispaai Aur Muhabbat Ki Aakhri Nazm’ (a poem about love and retreat) – Page 28, ‘Apollo Aur Athena – Haalat-e-Iltawa Main Likhi Gai Nazm’ – Page 32’, ‘Sarmai Barish Main Beher-e-Abdiat Ki Jaanib’ (towards an ocean of culmination in the winter rains) – Page 37, ‘Taareekh Kei Raaston Par’ (on the paths of history) – Page 126, ‘Waqt Ki Botiqa’ – Page 141, are some of the poems pertaining to this leitmotif in this book.

Naseer is dissatisfied with the injustices prevalent in our social system. He complains indirectly in his poem ‘Muft-e-Khuda’ (beggar) that in the free land of dreams, he travels and watches an open sale of ideologies, philosophies, people covering themselves with the attire of owners, along with their bounties etc. on bright television screens. Beneath the cover, there is no check on the nudity of hearts and souls. The dreamer is however visible to every one fully dressed. Despite no crime committed by him, his hands are amputated. He is standing in a queue since long, but by the time he reaches for his turn, even the ‘khurchan’ (burnt layer at the bottom of a cooking utensil) has been devoured by others. So he is left high and dry and retreats empty handed from his dream. Pain is larger than life and even larger than Gautam, who is the primary figure in Buddhism. He is recognised by Buddhists as an teacher who shared his insights to help end rebirth and . Accounts of his life, discourses and rules are believed by Buddhists to have been summarised after his death and memorised by his followers. Various collections of teachings attributed to him were passed down by and about 400 years later. Naseer Ahmad Nasir dares him to visit Gaza, Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan as well as Karachi and Quetta to witness the terrorists’ bomb blasts and see the carnage for himself. Finally, the poet dares him to look into Marxism. He did not have to reach far away into hunger, to reach nirvana. He would have been sleeping with a Russian dame after six or seven pegs of vodka.

Naseer Ahmad pays tribute to Wazir Agha in the poem ‘Wazirkot Kisi Jagah Ka Naam Nahi’ (Wazirkot is not the name of a place) – Page 40, to Rasheed Amjad in the poem ‘Sheher Ka Akhri Aam Aadmi’ (the last simple man of the city) – Page57, to Ali Muhammad Farshi in the poem ‘Main Tumhare Liye Nazm Nahi Dua Likhna Chahta Hun’ (I do not want to write a poem but write a prayer for you) – Page 134 and to Quratul Ain Fatima – Page 219.

Naseer Ahmad Nasir’s love for Nazm (poem) is depicted in his poem ‘Nazm Aur Main’ (the poem and I) – Page 216. When he knocks his door, the poem runs to open the door. She cannot see him entering as he is wearing a Suleimani cap and is invisible. The poem waits for him all night. All day, she stands by the window waiting for him. She is afraid of the mice and cockroaches around and till she gets a breath of fresh air, her breathing does not return to normal. The poem follows him everywhere. Both of them were born at the same time, except that he gets old earlier than her. She likes birds like he does. Though the poem is somebody’s shoes, somebody’s necklace and some body’s crown, she is expensive and not for sale. Sometimes, she is hijacked by hoarders, but if one is large-hearted, then she is free for somebody like him. Therefore, the poem and him shall play hide and seek all their lives.

Naseer Ahmad Nasir has written 86 poems in his latest collection. The book under review winds up with a poem ‘Yakum April 1954’ (April 01, 1954), the day he was born. He says on that day, a mother gave birth to a small mouse sized poem. Everybody was apprehensive that the poem shall not remain alive, but the mother looked after the poem in her lap and today it is a six feet tall man. Naseer has dwelled on varied themes like human suffering, body and soul, dreams of a common man, deception, self-respect, love, ancient history and its links with today etc, in the book under review. It is an easy reading. Each poem when read, fully absorbs the reader. His books have been translated in seven to eight foreign languages. Two of his books titled ‘Dreams Lost In Water’ and ‘A Man Outside History’ comprise English translations of his poems.

Book Review

Surmai Neend Ki Bazghasht

Poet: Naseer Ahmad Nasir

Publishers: Book Corner, Jhelum, Pakistan

Pages: 247

Price: Rs 600

The writer is an award-winning musician and author. He tweets at @amjadparvez and can be reached at doc_amjad@hotmail.com

Published in Daily Times, February 1^st 2018.