Daipayan Nair's book 'tilt of the winnowing fan' instantly captivates with a graceful title that gathers together poems on different themes of family, ecology, politics, conservation, and culture.
strolling on
broken sea shells
a deep whisper
Haikuniverse, June 6, 2022
The opening poem swirls my consciousness into more magical moments, whispering from the depths of being. On reading further, I feel each escape moment shimmering with an ardor of the poet's remarkable sense of perception.
Daipayan not only crafts a miniature world in and around each poem but also delicately unfolds the richness of India's cultural diversity. This book teleports me to a world of inferring innumerable human meanings. Using concrete imagery, he has skillfully woven words with compassion and empathy while also preserving haikai aesthetics. To comment, I have chosen two particular themes closer to my heart.
mom’s advice —
rose petals simmering
in coconut oil
Frogpond 45.3, Autumn 2022
In life, who can deny the first need for mother's unconditional warmth, as she provides all the nutrients for developing worldly and spiritual wisdom and sustenance. She is ever afraid and possessive for her child in all phases of life. The image is a harmonious combination of two scents multiplying into the aroma of mother's advice that lingers throughout one's life. What a beautiful juxtaposition! Furthermore, the rose-infused coconut oil is truly symbolic of the different stages of womanhood.
tribal village —
hearing my neighbour sing
in her tree house
Wales Haiku Journal, Autumn Issue, 2022
Living in a huge metropolis, this poem gives me the much-needed space for imagining a natural life where there is more peaceful cooperation and coexistence rather than conflicting interests between us and mother nature. I can hear the human song of happiness blending with the tree's precious life. There is a strong message here not only to love nature but also to embrace people of all faiths and cultures.
And finally, the wish to read a beautiful book as this, shall never end for haiku lovers.
shooting star ...
I wish for another
shooting star
tsuri-doro, Issue #12
This is a book I highly recommend for enjoying as well as learning from.
Tilt of the Winnowing Fan is available worldwide on Amazon. You can find the UK link here
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(Richa Sharma resides in Delhi NCR, India. She loves reading and writing poetry in her leisure time. Since 2019, her work has appeared in numerous online and print journals dedicated to Japanese short poetry like Frogpond, Presence, Akitsu Quarterly, Modern Haiku, Whiptail Journal, Kingfisher, Failed Haiku, Prune Juice Journal, Frameless Sky, Drifting Sands Haibun, Under The Basho, Bones, Seashores, Sonic Boom, Wales Haiku Journal, #FemkuMag, Asahi Haikuist Network, tsuri-dōrō, the cherita, Gembun Anthologies, Dua Anthologies, Cold Moon Journal, Stardust Haiku, haikuKATHA, Ribbons Tanka Journal, Nick Virgilio Haiku Association, and others. Her work has also been appreciated and selected as Honorable Mentions in the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival Haiku Invitational 2021, Africa Haiku Prize 2021, 3rd Star Haiku Contest, Japan Fair 2022 Contest, 3rd International Competition for Haiku Poetry Japanese Films in Valli Cinema, 14th Yamadera Basho Memorial Museum English Haiku Contest, and Heliosparrow Poetry Journal's Semagrams Contest 2022. Furthermore, her work has received editors' nominations for the Touchstone Awards and Red Moon Anthology, 2022.)
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