Hello Friends,
Today, I am in conversation with poet Ramchandran Rajasekharan with his collection of poems, ‘Smiling in my Sleep’.
The title is sweet, but the emotions are profound. The language is simple yet reaches readers’ hearts instantly. Reading the book was an absolutely soul-stirring experience for me. Each poem is a crafted emotion of unique ‘tone and tenor’ and forms an unspoken bond with the poet and his poetry. I was so intrigued that I had to learn more about the poet and his splendid work. So, let’s get talking to the poet and find out more.
Bobby George: Sir, it is a pleasure to talk to you. Please accept my heartiest congratulations on your book. I had the opportunity to read it. In my opinion, Poetry is a potpourri of penned emotional moments that usually gets tucked away. When did you decide to bring it out in public, and how does it feel when such an array of emotions and sentiments are on display?
R. Rajasekharan: Thank you for reading the book. I agree that the seed of poetry born at a given moment gets tucked away inside and overflows again at a given point. The moment they flow out, I naturally experience those emotions again.
Bobby George: When did you start writing poems? Has it always been your passion?
R.Rajasekharan: I have thought about writing poems only after sixty years. My first book “Dewdrop and Banyan Tree” was published in 2021. Though I started late, I found that writing poems gives me joy. The fair reception of my first book was encouraging. It might have been a passion all along. Both my father and mother were writing poems, and poetry was always in my genes, though I started a little late.
Bobby George: It is important for artists to develop their own unique style of writing to ensure that they effectively convey their ideas and themes; what sets your poetic voice apart?
R.Rajasekharan: I have read many poets, but each one writes with their signature style. I am also not different. Many of my poetic friends have told me that my writing style is more like that of a storyteller, and my poems are more tactile.
Bobby George: Well, how would you thematically categorise Your poetry and yourself as a poet besides being stylistically a free verse poet?
R.Rajasekharan: I have experimented a bit. I generally write free verses, as my poems flow like that, rarely rhyme, and are descriptive. I sometimes end my poems with 5-7-5 haiku.
Bobby George: Thereareso manypoems that I would like to talk to you about. Poems which make me reflect upon my own life and experiences, but in particular, Achha, Elusive Thirty-Eight, Memories of my Grandparents and Hunger is a Terrible Thing, warmed my heart and welled up my eyes. Are there any from your book that holds a special place in your heart?
R.Rajasekharan: My father ( Acha) is probably the wisest man I interacted with during his lifetime. He could talk about any subject under the sky. He was born during colonial rule, during which life was probably harsher. ‘Acha’ and ‘ Hunger is a terrible Thing’ are poems about my father and his infinite practical wisdom. In the first poem, I try to portray the void created by his absence, combining metaphorical layers and the ambience with and without my father. The second poem describes his way of conveying a message indirectly so that it stays dead in the subconscious.
My mother was so affectionate and was a good teacher.’Elusive Thirty-Eighth’ is a poem about her love for nature and teaching me to look at nature. When I took to poetry, I found the poetic symbolism attached to flora and fauna.
Bobby George: Another curious question sprang up in my mind when I read about you. Rather atypically, you had a career in Finance, now you present such tender human emotion, a rarity to bring out fascinating beauty. How did the switch from a cool calculative Finance Expert to a Tender-Hearted poet happen?
R.Rajasekharan: For me, writing poems to suit a preconceived fictional plot is complicated. I have not tried to experiment that way. Poetry is born when emotions overflow from within. When we observe, say, a bird watching intensely a dirty mossy pond simmering with breeding insects, a seed of the co-existence of beauty and ugliness, the breeding insects become food for the bird, and at some moment, it flows out as a poem.
Bobby George: You are from Kerala, a land known for its exquisite and varied beauty. Is that why your poems are close to Nature and paint the subtle beauty of human emotions?
R.Rajasekharan: Probably yes. Its beauty is charming and soothing. But nature means more to all of us. It acts as a balancing force. For example, we exhale carbon dioxide, and the trees recycle the carbon dioxide into oxygen. Many natural disasters arise because of the shortsighted destruction of nature, which cuts at the root of the sustenance of life in the long run.
Bobby George: Are you working on any other book you would like to share with your readers?
R.Rajasekharan: Yes. I am working on more books I hope to publish this year.
Bobby George: Please let us know about your reading interests? Is there any poet that inspires you or someone you love reading over and over again?
R.Rajasekharan: Khalil Jibran and Ivan Turgenev are two poets whose thoughts have influenced me much. Emily Dickinson, KamalaTurgenev, Ramanujam, Seamus Heany and the list can go on like that.
Bobby George: Who is the author you most admire in your genre?
R.Rajasekharan: I can’t say about one because there are many.
Thank you, Sir, for enriching us with your thoughts and experience. We hope to read more from your pen in the days to come. I wish you many enthralling milestones in your writing career. May you find all the literary success you need and deserve. Good luck! Over to you, friends. That was Ramachandran Rajsekharan for you—a poet par excellence. You must get your copy of this exceptional literary piece to experience how poetry can transcend your soul. Stay tuned for the next interview with another new pen on another new day. Don’t forget to post your comments. Until then, Ciao!
