Portrait of the poet: Dr Jernail Singh Anand from Punjab, India
THE DARK ESTATE Words are masks And I, a pastmaster in playing at canards, There are times when I miss the link, And find myself pursuing myself. Only paper knows my weaknesses A witness to the writing, cutting and rewriting That I am doing, Watches the entire game of Peeling and concealing going on.
I look back to find out When I stopped being genuine The first lie I told And then, How masquerades, lies, and deceptions, Lost their horror. Words are masks. Feelings fake. My eyes are only symbols of light And with legs, I traverse no paths. I am where I was millions of years ago When I set foot on this earth. I turned Odysseus, Alexander, Abdali, And Columbus, They were my masks, Sisyphis is being top soft on me I am essentially Oedipus, Responsible for the degeneration of my land. My empire is lost to natural growth. The idea of stars and Mars Was a facade for Showing I was on the move. Essentially, I stand erect, Ozymandias like, Dont tell me O wise! Pride is the ornament of shallowness. See my height! How I look aloft! Looking at my, your temperature dips. No human being can bark when I ope my lips My legs, my feet are a confused lot. Wheels accuse the engine It starts, And in spite of wheeling around, They find themselves in the same earth. Same vegetation, same rivers, Same jealousies, same passions, same realizations, same confessions. Shall I never graduate to a higher state? Or keep wheeling about In this dark estate?
TEQUILA SHOTS
Society pays heavily for cynicism of its rulers.
Born with a blind passion,
They want others
To turn blind in following them,
Or if they dare to see,
They stand to lose their eyes.
Man is mastered by his passions,
And his weaknesses as well.
Society supplies him luxury of security,
And he turns wild
Taking tequila shots of power.
May be I was a part of Akbar's army,
Or prior to that, one of the soldiers
Who entered Troy in the Trojan Horse,
Or fell at Kurukshetra, and
Again, ploughed back under the elephantine
Fleet of time, to life.
Was I among the bonded labour who built the Taj
Or the artisan whose hands were chopped off?
Or did I perish to the blood-thirsty bullets
Of O'Dwyer shouting 'Vande Matram'
At Jallianwala Bagh?
I am a shameless itinerant of this earth
Return to it again and again
in various 'avatars'.
Earth wonders
Why I lack the fair fame?
Why every time I encounter her,
I am no more than a will-less, faceless,
Voiceless cloud, fomented, and then,
Scattered by the fanciful winds?
Even today, when the world is awakened
I have no voice.
I call myself by big names.
I can deceive the mirror with my decorations,
But not my inside, My Self,
Which accuses me of lacking a Will.
And the Fight which might change my destiny.
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THE POET'S BIO DR JERNAIL SINGH ANAND Professor Emeritus in Indian Literature, Institute of European Roma Studies and Research, Crimes against Humanity and International Law, Belgrade, Serbia. Dr Jernail Singh Anand, Ph.D (P.U.Chd) , MBA, D.Litt. and Ph.D ,(Honoris Causa), Professor Emeritus in Indian Literature at Institute for European Roma Studies abd Research, Crimes against Humanity and International Law, Belgrade, Serbia, is one of the leading world poets, whom Global Literary Icon Dr. Maja Herman Sekulic has described as: “One of the greatest philosophers among poets, and one of the greatest poets among philosophers. He is not afraid to challenge, parody and transgress masters such as Dante or Milton and bring them to 21st century." His reputation as a poet rests mainly on his epics ‘Geet: The Unsung Song of Eternity’[a sequel to John Milton’s ‘The Paradise Lost’ and ‘The Satanic Empire’[a sequel to Dante’s ‘The Divine Comedy’. His work ‘The Ganturbury Tales’ also edges past Chaucer’s ‘The Canterbury Tales’ and tries to recreate the old magic. Hailing from Longowal, [Punjab, India], [b. 1955], Anand acquired his Ph.D degree from Panjab University, Chandigarh, and was honoured with D.Litt. degree by Univ. of South America. He was conferred honorary degree of Doctor of Philosophy and Mysticism by Institute of European Roma Studies and Research, Crimes against Hunanity and International Law, Belgrade, Serbia. He has to his credit more than 65 books of English poetry, prose, fiction, nonfiction and spirituality, and 50 research papers whereas 20 research papers were published on his works by Dr Roghayeh Farsi, an Iranian scholar. He has innovated the theory of BIOTEXT(along with Iranian scholar Dr Roghayeh Farsi) and CLOUD SYNDROME in Critical theory and is a refereed author. His verse anthologies which impacted literary scene include: 'Fighting the Flames' and 'Voices from the Void' ' Burning Bright' and "Beyond Life Beyond Death' and a work of criticism 'Creative Consciousness'. His latest work of fiction 'The Broken Narrative' (a novel) has been appreciared world wide. And 'Facing It' (poetry) is under print in Italy His works of spirituality 'Bliss:The Ultimate Magic' and 'I Belong to You' have been translated into Persian and published in Iran. Bliss has been compared with Khalil Gibran's 'The Prophet' and his work of poetry, 'Beyond Life Beyond Death' to T.S. Eliot's 'The Wasteland'. Vishwabharati Research Centre has brought out a Companion on Dr J.S. Anand’s work. He has been Secretary General of World Parliament of Literature and Ambassador, World Union of Poets, and Founder President, Philosophique Poetica and Galaxy International Foundation for Arts, Philosophy and Social Activism, Honorary Ambassador to Science fiction Academy of Macedonia for India and Director, World Institute of Peace, Nigeria. Dr. Anand has been honoured with various awards: such as Lord of World Peace and Literature, Award of Supreme Excellence [Vishwabharati], Cross of Peace, Cross of Literature, [World Union of Poets Italy], World Icon of Peace [Nigeria], Dr. Mohinder Singh Randhawa Award for Promotion of Art and Culture, Art4Peace Foundation California, Lifetime Achievement Award, World Laureate of Literature, Lifetime Achievement Award by Literati Cosmos Council, Mathura, and most recently African International Poetry Award and Gold Medal of Creativity from International Literary Union, America. He was appointed Ambassador to the Science Fiction Organization of Macedonia, Ambassador of several organizations, and conferred Lifetime Achievement Award for Outstanding Leader in Public Service and Human Rights by World Literary Forum for Peace and Humanity. Dr Anand organized World Poetry Conference at Bathinda Punjab India in Oct 2019.
He founded Galaxy International Foundation for which is organizing 2nd World Poetry Conference in Chandigarh India and announced Academy Awards in Literature, Poetry, Fiction and Literary Criticism. Dr Anand believes in a seamless world of human love and compassion and wants to build a bridge between abstract philosophy and social activism, in the true tradition of great poets, philosophers and sages who acted out their philosophy and contributed towards betterment of human society.
Source, photo and video by Mr. Jernail Singh Anand
