“”When will that shore appear from which at last we see..How all this came to pass and for what reason?”
Reading poetry has been my pastime for long.All my life! Now it has become a passion for me and now it has become a serious pursuit.My tastes and temperament had shaped and changed me to read lots of poetry as a pastime.I have no scholarly interest or academic discipline.Thus,what I enjoy is keep going back to my old favourites and also looking out at the new poets. I have been reading poetry,all sorts of poetry,from all around the world for all my life. But in subjects like poetry that touches one’s emotions and passions and even deeply touches one’s inner recesses of the mind and soul poetry seems to give me a fulfilment,as no other arts have given me.In the high school itself I was a sort of budding poet and an artist of sorts! I won prizes for both.But I never took myself serious as a poet or a painter.Yes,my education took me to very different influences and my exposure to poets,actually living,also added to my interest in poets and their works.That is my experience in poetry. May be there are other arts,music,painting and visual and performing arts,dances,Indian as well as the Western ballet and theatre ,yes,I have had some exposure,rather rudimentary in some fields but my interests continue.One’s life’s circumstances limit the opportunities.Yes,being in a city like Paris or London could make all the differences.But being in India has certain limitations.Even in Bangalore where I spend most of my time these days,I have had few opportunities beyond my chosen routines.Thus,I often see Western musicians performing in Bangalore,more so in recent times,more in diverse genres,more rock and less of course the old classical things with which I had some familiarity.Yet,I dont get the time or the right time to go and watch these havily advertised commercial scale artistic activities. Of all these arts and artistic activities,poetry stands out.That is,poetry you can enjoy and appreciate in your privacy,your chosen ambience.Those poetry volumes, dusty,crumbling pieces of papers,Eliot,Yeats and many others give me the most secure feeling of familiarity.So,poetry remains my favourite reading pleasure.
