LILIES OF THE VALLEY
Collection of Essays by
Lily Swarn
Publishers :Authorspress, New Delhi
ISBN 978-93-88008-52-5
Pp: 117
Price: Rs 250/-
Lily Swarn is a well known name especially in the English language Literary circles with a collection of poems ‘ A Trellis of Ecstasy ‘, published last year . The poetry collection was well taken by the poetry lovers home and abroad and earned rave reviews in the printed mainstream media as well as the social media. A formidable presence on the literary scene now, so far as poetry in English is concerned ,her poems have been translated into many Indian and Foreign languages . A winner of the 2016 Reuel International Prize for poetry, she has had the honour of being invited as a distinguished guest at many conventions and conferences . The back page of the Cover of the book under discussion sums up her noteworthy achievements.
‘LILIES OF THE VALLEY’ has an excellent Foreword by Ashok K. Bhargava , President Writers International Network, Canada, followed by ’You cannot Hide Lily among the Thorns ‘ a beautiful poem by Dr. Lanka Siva Rama Prasad, a medical specialist , which shows us the various aspects and manifestations of the Lily flower and which according to me could by extension mean Lily , the writer of these essays showing her many shades , moods and views through these nuggets . This also extends to the title of this collection. The Prologue by the author gives a peep into the background of this collection coming up ,describing the churning , creative process .
The writer has dedicated this collection to the memory of her dear mother, who departed on the Valentine Day in 2016
It is a collection of fifty essays covering diverse topics and written in her inimitable style .The topics chosen are of wide range and spectrum , and relate to objects, emotions, feelings , relationships, habits and what not .While the writer seems to have a different take on some of the subjects, she adds a new dimension to many others Interspersed with lines from Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi poetry, befittingly and deftly made use of , the essays make an absorbing reading.The references to various authors and books even from other languages that enrich the text also show that the writer is well read .
The very first essay ‘Gossip’ sets the tone and the writer is unsparing of the male of the species for they also indulge in this favourite pastime like women , who unfortunately being singled out , bear the burden of reputation for this.Gossip may not always be a lie and could contain a grain of truth that need not be told. And who can deny the infectious genuine ‘Smiles’ that have the healing effect, while the artificial plastic smiles could painful to the person sporting them. .The topic of ‘Love’ has been dealt twice with different description and dimensions. ‘Coffee, Tea Or Me’ deals with the subject close to my heart . While the mention of Indian Coffee House pleases me no end, she has the last word when she sums up the brew ideally ‘ Black as the devil, hot as hell;pure as an angel , sweet as love’ One can feel and savour the aroma throughout .
‘Dawn’ dwells on what a late riser might miss out on, given the salubrious fresh morning breeze and the sweet cooing of the Koel that always has the magic effect of lifting the mood and the spirit.
‘Hypocrisy’ dissects the false hoods in the expletives and hyperbolic expression of love .
‘Tree’ appears as a persona in the beautiful essay, symbolizing objects of love . A lone tree could also mean a forlorn lover or simply a person without company.
In ‘ Raqs’ suggestively titled so, dance is not mere entertainment like Giddha . There is a spiritual and religious dimension to it. The terms ‘raqs-e anaa’ & ‘ raqs-e- sharar’ are an addition to my knowledge and vocabulary .
‘The “F” Word ‘ meaning Fat is the most abhorred word these days , a detriment to health , looks, well being and self esteem . This has been beautifully brought out by the writer in this essay. Laced with her own wedding time experience , there is an express longing for the old times , when the painter Peter Paul Reuben painted the perfect woman. She quotes from a Hindi film song that celebrates a ‘ fat biwi’.
‘Diseases of the Soul’ presents inter alia the example of one Mr. Bajaj , a nonagenarian with extraordinary zest for life.
‘Tears’ discusses the ‘most potent weapon’ in altogether a different light . The writer does not fiorget to mention the famous Folk song from Chamba, ‘ Kapde dhowan nale rowan kunjua….’ to my utter delight.
‘Father’ is discussed on the expected lines, as the writer seems to me ‘a father’s daughter’ bearing physical facial resemblance to him.
‘Moustaches’ comes with some amount of research and a touch of humour
In short , the writer treats us with a wide gamut of subjects, covering objects , emotions , feelings….etc . Some of the essays are philosophical and are a result of serious introspection
The essays though short and crisp never grow terse . Further the references and quotations from various sources like lines from Urdu poetry, Hindi songs, Punjabi sayings and adages are woven into the text with dexterity and the total impact is just amazing.
I ,for one, am left wonderstruck like the villagers in Oliver Goldsmith’s poem ‘ The Village Schoolmaster ‘
‘…..That one small head could carry all (s)he knew ….’
A reader's delight !!
The taste of pudding is in the eating , so why wait !
