Parvez Sheetal is a dynamic and well-known litterateur of English, Urdu, and Hindi languages. His writings most often appear in leading local and national dailies, and magazines and are also broadcasted from All India Radio. “Silent Roselings” is a poetry collection of Parvez Sheetal published by Authors Tree Publishing Chattisgarh. This poetry collection is spread over 159 pages. Its cover page is eye-catching and beautifully designed.
This book contains 98 poems of varied themes and titles depicting the pain, agony, and ill-health of society. Parvez Sheetal has dedicated this nice compilation to his grandparents Qureshi Khatoon and Irfan Khan, his parents Noorjahan Begum and Luqman Khan, his spouse Neelofer and his own children Winny, Ahan, and Shahan. Parvez Sheetal has expressed his gratitude to Tausif, Ibrar Khan, and Imran Khan for helping him in compiling this book and in overcoming the predicament of the passing away of his father and son in its acknowledgment note on page VII. About this book, Dr. Satyapal Anan says “this slim book has fewer than a hundred poems but their sum and substance qualify them to be counted qualitatively” on page IX.
According to Dr. Ali Imran Khan, Silent Roselings is the first poetic venture of Parvez Sheetal and is an interesting piece of poetic expression of the world in which he dwells and gains the experience of life amidst so many odds and contradictions. While going through the book Silent Roselings of Parvez Sheetal I am convinced that he has done his duties as a poet. These are the words of Prof Subash Chandra appearing on page xxi. Dr. Rajesh Kumar says ” Parvez Sheetal bears the courage for positive change through his verses”. In it’s foreword on page xxx Parvez Sheetal writes “when there is crowd of people and nobody has any time to talk a little and we feel extremely alone.
In such a painful situation we need to talk either to god or to ourselves. The language we use to convey our feelings is called poetry”. In its first poem “Silent Roselings” on page 2, Parvez Sheetal beautifully highlighted the social evil of female foeticide. How our girl children are killed in the womb of their mothers recklessly by modern-day humans even before their birth. On its page 6 another poem ” a prickle of rose” describes the beauty of the rose and how it helps people in lessening their sorrows and plays its own natural music”. Another poem Sublime Lesson on page 8 shows how a half-burnt petal of a roseling laying on scorching hot sand is still smiling and starling. Thus giving a sublime lesson “Never to give up, never to lose heart”. The poem ‘an empty pen’ on page 12 shows how kindness and love can bring spring in winter and revolution in the desert.
Another poem ‘a prick of anguish’ on page 13 shows how a child feels ashamed in his youth when he is burnt due to a stove and recalls his own mistake of burning a butterfly and a glow-worm during his childhood. In the poem ‘the breath of freedom’ Parvez Sheetal beautifully cited the example of a green and beautiful parrot in captivity to show the value of freedom and how post-death the battle is won. In poe, ‘the train of hope’ on page 21, the poet has skilfully tried to show how a train despite hurdles reaches to its destination overcoming all the odds in its way. The poem ‘the cave of dogma’ has been nicely composed to depict the ultimate end of man. In the poem ‘don’t fight ever’ page 27 poet has regarded men as worst creatures than the thorns who unlike men always live in peace without fighting with one another. The Poem ‘lost friends’ has been so skilfully crafted that a reader easily comprehends how we feel dejected and alienated even in a crowd like the yellow withered leaves of the same plant. In poem ‘they hated me’ on page 36, Parvez Sheetal addressed the basis of hate in our society.
.Poet in his other poem ‘keep on walking’ on page 47 has valued the courage and zeal to move towards victory by defying all troubles. In another poem, ‘Indian brides’ on page 56 poet has bravely highlighted the deplorable and melancholic conditions of our female folk especially our brides who get torched in their in-law’s homes at the hands of their husbands and other relatives. ‘Shameful act’ on page 68 is an eye-opener for those who talk about soul and heaven but spread hatred, and bigotry in the name of religion, sect, and creed. Likewise in Parvez Sheetal’s other poem ‘the prey of poverty’ we find how poor but brave men relentlessly fight day and night like mongooses and cobras to live a please life.
In the poem ‘the satanic power’ on page 77 poet has like a true litterateur tried to explain the goal of unbridled power. Unbridled and unchecked power leads to worship which is against the very conscience of man. In another poem ‘don’t get despaired’ on page 83 poet has somehow tried to infuse hope and power in the hearts and minds of despaired people who feel dejected, gloomed, and dispirited when get entangled in a predicament. In the poem, ‘selfless duty’ on page 95 poet has skilfully made a comparison between birds and humans. Birds labor hard tirelessly to feed their chicks without expecting anything good in return, unlike humans who build heaps of expectations. Parvez Sheetal is a dynamic and versatile poet with a strong hold over composing poems of varied lengths. Few of his poems are too long while some are as small as only three lines like the one ‘the little dove’ on page 103.
The last poem of the book is ‘the real courage’ on page 122 in which the poet has recommended to call a human a human by breaking all the old traditions of speaking etcetera. “Silent Roselings” is really a beautiful and pretty poetry collection by Parvez Sheetal depicting his utmost skill and talent of composing poems of varied themes and putting his great ideas and thoughts on paper. While going through the contents of the book, readers are sure that Parvez Sheetal has performed the duty of a poet in highlighting the wrongs in society and also has suggested some curative measures to make it transparent and worth living.
Author hails from Qazigund. He can be mailed at rayeeskumar31@gmail.com
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