POETS ON AIR by Bhubaneswar Poetry Club

Quality over quantity, this adage finds its finest expression in Dushyant Kumar who is the first ghazal writer in Hindi. In his short span of life of 42 years, he made valuable contributions to Hindi and Urdu literature. His poems and excerpts have been sung by people from all quarters and all corners of the land.

Every poet speaks through his poems, but sometimes the poems become an unbridled force unto themselves, and the poet simply smiles standing behind the curtain.

Listen to Kasturika Mishra reciting 'Mai Jise Odhta Bichata Hun' by Dushyant Kumar. Love & Light. ✨

Hailed as a literary genius in the scene of odia literature, the legends of Guruprasad Mohanty traverses strata of social and temporal boundaries, establishing him as one of the pioneers and the finest exponents of experimental poetry. Honesty, jurisprudence and principle is infused in each layer of his poetry much like the kind of person he was! Very few people, forget poets, are able to convert moral pressure and challenge into inspiration and in turn translate that gist into serious poetry. Real modernity in Odia poetry came forth spreading its plume of colours and complexity came forth with Guruprasad Mohanty’s poetry.

Listen to Piyush Pratik Sahoo, medico in making and poetry enthusiast’s recitation of his poem. Love & Light ✨

John Greenleaf Whittier was a highly revered 19th century American poet famous for his works on abolition of slavery. Often considered as an influential fireside poet, read in all households of his time, Whittier played a pivotal role in rise of American literary regionalism and was strongly supportive of women poets like Sarah Jewett and Celia Thaxter. Listen to Krishna Gochayat's recitation of his poem Don't Quit. Love & Light✨

Koyamparambath Satchidanandan is one of the pioneers of modern Indian poetry and specifically Malayalam poetry.

He has contributed greatly in pivotal roles of a bilingual literary critic as a translator by translating many modern poets like Cesar Vallejo, Ferdinand Garcia Lorca, Mahmoud Darwish, Atilla Jozsef and others into Malayalam, as an editor of Indian Literature (the journal of Sahitya Akademi), as a playwright.

His poems erupt with quirkiness engendered in our everyday lives as well as social commentary and satire, which provides an enjoyable and unique perspective. In this episode let us listen to a famous poem of his called Kozhi-Panka written in 1972 and which continues to strike and stimulate contemporary minds. Hear Dr. AC Raghu's un-inimitable recitation of the poem. Love & Light✨

Santha Kabi Bhima Bhoi is well known throughout the land for his works replete with tenets of Mahima philosophy as well as deep incisive analysis of life itself.

Even to this day his songs (janānas and bhajans) are sung by the Kumbhipatias, common folk as well as pursued with great interest by literary and culture enthusiasts.

In this episode, Dr. Santosh Biswal lends his voice to one of his famous poems "Mo Jibana Pachey Narke Padi Thau." Love & Light✨

Padma Bhusan Ramkumar Verma, was a poet and playwright of the Chayavad movement in Hindi poetry and thematically ascribed to historical contexts, weaving them into his poems.

In this poem he exalts the farmers and compares them to presiding deities of all things agrarian- village, soil and produce.

It endorses the symbiosis agrarian culture with all other stratifications that pervades our lives.

Listen to this poem in the voice of Praneet Nandan. Love & Light ✨

Is life a dream? Are our lives mere dreams playing out in another larger dream? Why do things just slip from our hands? Why do memories and events swim past us in the flick of a moment? Are moments fragile and flitting? Or do they linger?

Where do they linger, in our dreams or a dream within a dream? This poem by Edgar Allan Poe echoes many questions like above that tread in the waters of our subconscious mind.

Listen to the poem in the mellifluous voice of Madhupriya. Love & Light ✨

What human existence is bereft of whims and fancies, desires or questions? Today's poem echoes some serious thoughts about the same. Subhransu Panda is a well known journalist, a novelist, and a poet in Contemporary Odia literature. From his poems emanate a unique and beautifully singular fragrance, that fundamentally permeates all our whims, fancies, desires, and our existence as human beings.

Listen to this recitation, in the soothing voice of Anwesha Tripathy. Love & Light✨

Introducing you this time with the tremdous world of "Nazm" in Gaurav Sinha's powerful voice. Firstly, Hafeez Jalandhari's "Abhi toh mai jawan hun," with the true spirits of youth. And Ibn-e-Inshah's "Ek baar kaho tum meri ho" as an ode to the love of your life.

Asha karte hai ye mehfil apko jarur bhayegi. Love & Light ✨

American poet and social worker, Pat A Fleming lingers on the edges of the subtle dimensions, inter-relations and existing conundrums of human lives, through her poetry. She is unabashed and unapologetic yet, her words never cease to inspire and prod one's conscience.

A little bundle of inspiration from her in the voice of the perky Sanjeevani Mishra.