Poetry is an art that reeks of emotions and the one who can play with words and can express his thoughts, is said to have lived life rightfully.
We all would have come across books titled as ‘Siamese Poems’ or ‘Siamese cats’ or ‘Ode to a Siamese cat’. For starters, Siamese is a term derived from the word ‘Siam’ which was used formerly as a name for Thailand. However, this book’s title is not a piece of cake to decipher.
Kaushal’s ‘Siamese Compassion’ strikes the right chord in the right place through the spunky and sharp-tongued verses. He not only contrasts both sides of the coin but also expresses his emotions through simple yet profound words. His ideas and strong opinions can be easily understood and the satire in the free verses act as a cherry on the cake.
Lyrical, rhetorical as well as rhythmic- this is what the poems in Siamese Compassion sound like. One might be forced to re-read, for they have the potential to either make someone have a fit of pique or have a lump in the throat. For the ones who do not give a hoot, this one is a challenge to read. Kaushal’s prowess lies in not keeping the stiff upper lip and instead, calling a spade a spade.
The poet touches the Achilles Heel of our flaky world. He poses rhetorical questions about people who follow the blind alleyway, about the cloud cuckoo land that we all live in, and about the stereotypes we live by. Each poem sends the adrenaline rushing in our body, for we know what the poet is trying to say but we are too naïve to accept the truth.
There are no favourites because each one has a different aroma- a different flavor. The titles reflect sensible thinking. In fact, we all have been born with horse sense. But seldom do we actually use our gift. We are so eager to keep our dark side on top that we forget about our real face. ‘Siamese Compassion’ compares and contrasts the difference in the times- how the world was earlier and how it has changed now- the former being the pure and lovable one while the latter being the one with filth and greed.
Coming to the title of the book, ‘Siamese Compassion’ has silhouette of cats on the cover. The first thought that I got after seeing the cover was that probably the author is using Siamese twins as an element of analogy i.e. he is probably trying to expose both sides of the world- the sides that cannot be separated. Since one forms a part of the other, it is referred to as Siamese. Accordingly, the title seemed apt. However, the design was a little ambiguous.
The book has deeper thoughts to offer and it will take time and peace of mind to understand the poet’s perspective.
Great job done by the poet.
Best wishes!
About the Author
Active blogger and writer, Enakshi Johri, is a regular author for Indus woman Writing. She is a postgraduate in Biotechnology. She has written several articles, stories and poems and most of her content has been published in the ejournal of IWW (Indus Woman Writing). She is working as a curator for ‘fiction magazine’ (an online magazine). She has contributed in six Anthologies so far. She is also a freelance book reviewer. She is a creative thinker and a passionate writer and loves to pour down her heart in form of words. She shares her experience and her perception through her website (http://aliveshadow.blogspot.in/).
