Yastai chha mero hal!
Ma sabdalai dekdachhu!
Drishyalai sundachhu!
Basnalai swad linchhu!
Akashbhanda patala kuralai chhunchhu!
Ti kura,
Jasko astitwa lok mandaina
Jasko akar sansar jandaina!
- Pagal, Laxmi Prasad Devkota
All the works by the prolific writer Laxmi Prasad Devkota are indisputably commendable, and among them the poem “Pagal” is one of my favorites. The inner feelings of the poet have been explained well in this poem, and it is an exemplary model of a contemporary poem. The way the symbols have been used in the poem, the tone and the structure are outstanding as well.[break]
In this poem, the poet has stated that he can see words, can taste fragrance and can hear the visible and has addressed himself as a lunatic. Great writers and poets are able to break the barriers of the society by expressing themselves, and for doing that they are perceived as lunatics by the society.
Such poets and writers may look like lunatic from the perspectives of a common man because their outlooks on life are different. Since the way writers and poets portraying their inner emotions, feelings and viewpoint on life are totally hard to comprehend by common people, they don’t understand the intensity of the way writers think and act, which is why they tag them as lunatic.
Photo:Bijaya Rai
But the question is whether the people whom we consider sane are the ones who are actually lunatic? Such deep things have been covered well in this poem.
I like all the works of Devkota’s and the power that this poem holds drew me to it. It’s hard to explain into words why I love this poem as it has really touched me; and being a poet myself, I can really relate myself to this poem. I read this poem during my college days as it was part of our curriculum; but since then, I read it time and again and still is one of my favorites.
About Pahadi
Pahadi usually likes to write about the realities of life, and her writings embrace the pains, sufferings, happiness and various other facets of life. She also likes to point out the negative changes that take place in the society so that people become more aware.
She was into writing since her schooldays, and her first poem “Yantra Grihabata Chitkar” was published in the magazine Rachana in 1994. Since then, there has been no looking back for her. Pahadi has two collections of poems to her credit: “Mriga Trishna Ra Anya Kabita,” and “Ghamka Akshar.”
She worked at Nepal Television for fourteen years as program presenter and she also hosted a program dedicated to literature called “Abhibyakti” on the same channel.
For the last eighteen years, Pahadi has been working as a deputy administrative chief at Nepal Academy and she is also the editor of the magazine “Lok Sanskriti.”
She is currently writing stories wherein her subject is basically about the realities of life and the world.
“I can’t live without writing. I feel that literature is a beautiful expression of experiences,” says she.
As told to Nistha Rayamajhi.
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