Daipayan Nair’s haiku poems embody this spirit, offering glimpses, where resilience, love, and everyday moments converge. A haijin from Silchar, Assam, Nair is a poet specializing in Japanese short forms, particularly haiku and tanka. His works have gained international recognition, published in esteemed blogs like The Haiku Dialogue of The Haiku Foundation and renowned journals such as Frogpond, prune juice, Failed Haiku, Cold Moon, Scarlet Dragonfly, Triya Mag, and others. Associated with Triveni Haikai India, led by Kala Ramesh, Daipayan contributes to haikuKATHA monthly. His haiku have earned nominations and long-listing for the prestigious Touchstone Award. Currently, Daipayan edits the haikuNetra journal, furthering his passion for haiku poetry.
As a Haiku aficionado, I eagerly devoured Daipayan’s second collection, ‘the ten hands of a fuchka seller’, recently published by Penprints, and an appealing assemblage of haiku and senryu, surrendering to the gentle whizz of words, transporting me to the Kolkata city’s rhythmic pulse. With each poem, Kolkata’s soul unfolds, its spirited folks, magnificent landscapes including hidden alleys, bustling streets, and serene waterways, and heterogeneous culture.
Nair’s masterful brushstrokes of imagery and emotion craft a medley of everyday moments transforming the mundane into the sublime and timeless tiny treasures that linger long after the words fade. His poetic canvas paints vivid portraits of Kolkata’s everyday magic such as street vendors’ calls, beggars and laborers’ struggles, river Ganges’ breeze and lullabies, and whispered tales in courtyards. His words arouse emotions, invoke memories, and indicate one to surrender to the city’s enchantment.
In his collection, Kolkata’s lifeblood flows like a river and unfolds like a lotus bloom- delicate, irrepressible, and breathtakingly scenic. The language is handled like a painter’s brush, fashioning intense images that breathe life into Kolkata’s streets. For example- ‘graffiti art- / an old beggar pees / on revolution’ contrasts revolt and despair, as uses a metaphor for disregard, undermining the power of revolution.
The poem which hold the collection’s captivating title in it, ‘Kolkata street corner- / the ten hands / of a fuchka seller,’ the poet celebrates street food culture, strength and flexibility. The metaphor of ‘ten hands’ represents skill and adaptability, while ‘fuchka’ – a local word – grounds the poem in authenticity. The image of the seller’s quick-wittedness is demonstrable, inviting the reader to experience the bustling streets.
Headless
at Kali’s feet
ash gourds
This poem is a surreal, haunting scene, blending mythology and mortality. Ash gourds, symbolizing surrender and devotion, lie headless, stirring the feel of transience. Kali’s power and the cycle of life-death are tangible, that inclines us towards spirituality.
Jarring the readers with its contrast between motion and stillness, this miniature touches my soul with hidden life philosophy in it: ‘tram window- / fresh carp splayed out / on a sidewalk’. The fish, representing life’s fragility, fate, and urban disconnection, is an agonizing metaphor. The tram window frames a fleeting moment, highlighting life’s impermanence. Throughout these haiku, vernacular language is used related to Kolkata’s traditions, foods, streets, corners, and temples and such deliberate word selection creates a sensory experience. Metaphors and symbolism layer depth; invite interpretation and reflection.
In ‘woodpecker / the city still has / a heartbeat,’ the woodpecker’s persistent drumming echoes the city’s resilience, reminiscent of a wanderer Japanese poet Matsuo Basho’s ‘furuike ya’ (old pond), where a frog’s leap symbolizes life’s continuity- ‘an old silent pond /a frog jumps into the pond, splash! silence again!’
The stark contrast in ‘flyover slab / a loaded truck speeds over / the slum school’ exposes Kolkata’s harsh realities, much like Kobayashi Issa’s haiku, ‘windy fall—/ these are the scarlet flowers / she liked to pick’ highlighting life’s fleeting nature and expressing deep anguish of heart and sympathetic helplessness. Love’s impermanence is poignantly captured in ‘fading mehndi / every promise / you had made,’ evoking the same longing as it is stirred by Yosa Buson’s ‘yuku haru’ (departing spring), where cherry blossoms symbolize transience.
In ‘crunching papris / in a steel container / his bengali slang,’ Nair celebrates Kolkata’s street food culture and linguistic diversity, echoing the spirit of Masaoka Shiki’s ‘kaze to ki no’ (wind and trees), which honors everyday moments.
Like Japanese Haiku poets Basho, Issa, Buson, Shiki, Daipayan’s haiku poems also focus on nature and impermanence, social contrasts and fleeting life, celebration of everyday moments and longing, honoring of ordinary life, artistic flair and linguistic simplicity.
The timbre of his haiku poems may fluctuate from lure and pleasure to amazement and intensity. History is witness of it that, for its aura of novelty and clandestineness, ‘haiku’ being shortest literary form, many famous poets like W. H. Auden, Amy Lowell, Ezra Pound, Anne Waldman, D. H. Lawrence, R. H. Blyth and Richard Wright fell in love with this lyrical form adapting it, and no doubt, Daipayan’s words also create a unique path for many more poets, unshackled by traditional syllable constraints.
In ‘bhog thali- / the priest makes space / for his last demand,’ the sacred and profane entwine, as the priest’s plea pierces the veil of ritual. Sizzling with the fiery passion of deception in ‘bhetki fry / layer upon layer / of your lies,’ each layer is an evidence to the complexity of human emotions. The scent of betrayal wafts through the air, leaving the reader’s senses singed.
In ‘palash bloom / she breathes a poem / on my lips,’ love’s tender touch ignites a symphony of sensations. The palash flower’s vibrant hue infuses the moment, as words dissolve into the sweetness of intimacy. One feels transported to a territory of whimsy and wonder while reading ‘twilight hill- / her agile hop for a cluster / of yongchak beans’. The hill’s gentle slope beckons, as she dances, untethered, in pursuit of the elusive beans. Time suspends, leaving only the thrum of joy.
Through his poems, Daipayan humanizes the struggles of the marginalized, fostering empathy and understanding, illuminates the beauty in ordinary lives, encouraging readers to slow down and appreciate the present and offers a unique perspective on happiness, reminding us that it can be found in the smallest, often overlooked moments.
Daipayan’s poetry exhibits the power of observation, compassion, and mindfulness, inspiring readers to reevaluate their own relationships, values, and priorities. In each poem, a world unfolds, alive with the pulse of humanity.
Daipayan’s haiku collection is an excellent sample and a treasure trove of inspiration for novice poets to learn haiku writing, moreover, a delightful treat for Haiku enthusiasts.
A wanderer inside me also desires to visit Kolkata to savor the city’s flavors, sounds, and spirit, just as Daipayan’s haiku and senryu invite readers to do. Who knows? Perhaps those experiences in Kolkata will inspire one to write his or her own Haiku creations, continuing the poetic journey sparked by Daipayan’s hypnotizing poetic snippets.
Dr. Shalini Yadav is a Professor, Poet, Writer and Columnist hailing from Jaipur, Rajasthan.