About yesterday's poetry gathering

I am still reeling under the effect of yesterday's conversations. 

When we decided to discuss poets and what they mean to us, I was not too enthused because I routinely find such "explanations" get too scholarly and for me, poetry is about emotion, about taking that tornado that has been sleeping in your soul and making it real. 

But yesterday I realised something new - when we take words and add what they did to us, the conversation becomes real for EVERYONE. When Minal spoke about how Harivanshrai Bachchan was the first serious interest in poetry - both for her and for her son, it was not just appreciation of classic poetry. It was that invisible thread that ties us to each other. For parents and children, especially, the cultural reference points are seldom same. The music that shapes them is different, the books they read are different, even the language used to express emotions is not the same.  

In discussing Sahir, what stood out for me was how deeply one poet can enter another. It is not the same as "being under the influence of". It is like someone enters your soul and helps you understand and express yourself. I got the sense that that is what Sahir has done for Harsh. 

Jaun Eliya, of course, was reimagined for all of us. Many years ago, a friend introduced me to Jaun. He then gifted a book of Jaun which i read and was hugely underwhelmed. I really did not understand what all the fuss was about. But EVERY single time someone recites Jaun Eliya, I find the words to be magical. Hearing someone else recite him acts as the catalyst that brings the poet alive. 

But what Sankalp did with Jaun was not just interpret the intrepid nature of Jaun's poetry or his universally known irreverence. He brought that irreverence into us. For a while, we threw the world to the wind and felt exactly as Jaun would have liked us to feel. "Nahi to" remains a highlight of yday's renditions. 

The poetry that flows from the poet is always super special. Kavita mein shabd se bhi zyada, i observe what the poet goes through as they put their words out. And its always heartwarming to see that. :)