– Reetuparna Dutta I Bibliophile
Jagdeep Singh is a veteran PR practitioner who runs Rajasthan’s leading PR agency. Known for his penchant for the written word, he has published a number of his poems in poetry journals, magazines and online portals. Until he decided to compile some of his poems into the anthology ‘My Epitaph. I had had only the pleasure of occasionally experiencing his poems on social media. And, I say experience because each of his poems takes the reader on a journey to the heart of the poet who bravely exposes glimpses of his inner self to the world. His words evoke an emotional response and vivid imagination without unnecessary gestures, lyrics, and emoting. These poems are thought-provoking and compelling. They speak of life’s challenges, of pain, love, and heartbreak and are rendered with utmost simplicity. Although I do not read a lot of poetry, ‘My Epitaph’ gave me insightful words to ponder as “I stand trapped immobilized like a dart board” feeling the raw emotion of the narrator “as they throw the pointed missile at me”.
Although ‘My Epitaph’ is an anthology of poems with a vast variety of topics, what astounded me was that the flow never breaks. One is on an emotional roller coaster the author puts them on from the opening of the book: “On a cold hard stone have I engraved my own epitaph” till the very macabre end “I watch myself burn….burn to ashes”. The anthology dives deep into the poet’s persona as each poem defines their complex thoughts layer after layer peeling away to reveal their innermost core.
As I entered into the words ‘For Sylvia Plath’ I knew I would not quite exit the same. The heart of this piece was captivating and stirred my soul. The piece begins with an extract of Sylvia’s short but beloved poem ‘Mirror’. The poet attempts to converse with Plath in this verse seeking answers as a well-wisher would. He compliments her sheer bravery “to laugh like a mad woman” at the abysmal reality of life and her ability to see life for what it is worth yet still find kinship among the “…cool odours of the flowers and trees. The twinkling lights of the stars.” The narrator concludes by seeking an answer for the battle lost by Plath against the slippery and unnerving ‘fish’ who is perhaps her darker self that challenges her socially acceptable version. As I read the lines of the poem over and over, I felt as if privy to an intimate affinity the poet shared with Plath coloured by his imagination.
Love poetry has always held a magical sway over my jaded and modern sensibilities. The narrator also dedicates a few pieces on the matters of the heart for love sick fools such as myself who are eerily familiar with the romantic genre. He dares to show the readers the darker side of love. Expressing raw emotion, some poems are sad, some glib, and some will put a wry smile on your lips. In ‘Fugitive Love’ the poet tells us to “just give into dynamics of love” whereas in ‘On Writing a Love Poem’, he wants acceptance for who he is – a “lousy love-poet”. Perhaps my favourite of the lot was “On Meeting my Ex”. I enjoyed its heartfelt style and the light it shed on the weight of lost love on the poet’s heart. The poem is a poignant reminder of the passage of time and a starkly beautiful and painfully honest reminisce of perhaps a younger love, a place we fear visit but dare to step into through the tormented account of the poet.
I would strongly urge others to embark on this poetic journey with a blank canvas and an open mind. Beware if you are looking for rainbows and unicorns: sadly this author is not for you. He will never let you feel alone as you stare “into the shadows/ into the silence/even darkness” and perhaps even teach you to better appreciate the light. In the depths of the many verses of ‘My Epitaph’ I read my own meaning and found my inner poet to write the above review. Needless to say, I will re-visit this eloquent collection time and time again.
