Poems
In an earlier acclaimed work, Darkness
at Bamiyan, he showed a different aspect of
his creative versatility
Remember His
sighting of convulsion and age
Able bodies twisted, distorted by sickness
and death
Triggered not withdrawal but bearing
of a sage
Suppression of frenzy, meditative chants
on breath
Leaving
Yashodhara’s affection,
precious Rahul asleep
Through doors of darkness, embracing
contours of black
On a path where answers where illusive,
questions ran deep
Penniless, prepared for foreboding
to haunt, guilt to rack
Unworthy symbols of His greatness,
flawed in design
Though confounded by flux, let us
humbly strive
On the wings of engaging debate soar,
not resign
Through mating of minds keep our
stony selves alive
(from the chapter Souls
in Stone, Darkness at Bamiyan)
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The poetic challenge in this epic was to
breathe life into the two protagonists, Shahmama
and Sol Sol and immortalize their memory
through a dialogue encompassing many interwoven
themes juxtaposed with certain illustrative
tenets of Buddhist philosophy.
Sharing insights about the creative process
Amol says - “In writing these epics
that can often take up to a year to complete,
I am often inspired by the ordinary and
mundane around me. For example the patient
and loving devotion of the furniture makers
in the back alleys of Kemang in South Jakarta
where I live or the wood carvers of Bali
whom I visit occasionally. These artists
sit day after day crafting, sculpting and
polishing their wood often in isolation
and with a singularity of purpose. There
is an unhurried chiseling, a pause in every
stroke, a focus in their undistracted gaze.
Trying to emulate this patience and devotion
I too ruminate for hours on end waiting
for words and themes to evolve and grow.
And like them through ruminative creativity
try to survive the chaos all around.”
Some of his poignant verses are also inscribed
on his black and white ink sketches and
collages that he has produced and which
are selectively displayed at festivals
and poetry readings. Sketching facilitates
his continued exploration of finding art
in poetry and poetry in art.
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