This book of poetry is creative catharsis

The title of the book 'Dancing with Dreams – Journey from me to myself' itself sets the tone to what a poetry lover can expect from the tastefully done up publication. 43 poems, with catchy sketches by noted artist Ramanajeevi take the readers across various moods and phases, a Pied Piper sort of skill which top bureaucrat Aditya Nath Das, erstwhile Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh government exhibits in ample measure.

A coffee-table version of his innermost feelings and thoughts, this book has a set of introductions from notables in the field of literature and poetry. One is by Jnanapeeth awardee Sitakant Mahapatra, a fellow IAS officer who writes: 'I have rarely read such a bunch of lively poems in the recent past, which without pretensions, speak directly to the reader's heart. Best is to leave it to the reader and not interfere with his search for meaning.'

The other by Ashok Vajpeyi, another superannuated IAS officer and former Chairman, Lalit Kala Academy opines that 'as a poet Mr Das has discovered for himself many emotions and insights in poetry. They would not have been possible within the rigidities of civil service. It is poetry that makes him articulate in language love, loss, expectation, hope, despair, possibility and anxiety, a wide range of emotions'.

Introducing his journey in the field, Das says 'I started writing early in school. I learned that although poetry is all language, language is not all poetry. I have experienced that poetry is the only medium through which man expresses his emotions most fluently, effectively and purely. Not only that, poetry is like a catharsis. Let alone readers, it helps the poet to purify his inner self from time to time. When faced with a crisis, poetry takes us into its arms'.

As the author adds: 'Why poetry? Poetry comes like a sudden spurt and you build upon it. In case of a story or novel, you need to think and then put into writing. I am more of a spontaneous kind of a person. What is unrehearsed is more me. What is repeated, what is edited is not me. Sometimes, events also influenced me to write. It is very paradoxical that human beings can be so much capable of being kind and cruel. It was researched and analysed how a person can be both a creator and a serial killer. I always think about how a human mind works. How a man so full of love can become a diabolic killer? How can he hurt another human being? Because this action is completely opposite of love. If you love- you cannot hurt'.

The poems reflect his search for various aspects of human life and travel back in time from 1978 to the 1980s and a few undated ones too. It is a very impressive addition to the world of poetry in English.