Rhythms of Identity (Selected Poems)

Bijay Kishore Sundar Ray was born in 1949 and belongs to Bhubaneswar. He joined the Indian Administrative Service in 1972 and retired in the rank of Chief Secretary to the Government of Chhattisgarh.

A committed poet, B.K.S. Ray's world of creativity is multi-dimensional. He writes poetry to appeal to human consciousness. In all his poems, he asserts his identity as a fighter against injustice and hypocrisy. His longing for peace and struggle against destructive forces exhibit his inner voice. "Human sorrows and sufferings", says Ray, "have always moved me. And I write poetry for human liberation".

In his collection of poems, "Rhythms of Identity", he has exhibited his restlessness to explore new frontiers of existence. His poems reflect longing for love, a deep concern for a suffering humanity and a voice against loneliness and isolation.

Ray's writings have been influenced by D.H. Lawrence, T.S. Eliot, Octavio Paz, Pablo Neruda, Sylvia Plath and Joseph Brodsky. He tries to find out a way against despair and against the devious clouds of destructive pessimism.

"As a writer, I'm unstoppable!", says Ray. So far he has written 29 books.

He lives in Raipur (Chhattisgarh) where he intends to pursue his literary activities.

"I write

I write with your life and my own"

These lines of Pablo Neruda strike a solidarity between the self and the others that sustains a meaningful existence. The poet lives in a world where he is constantly reacting to an external scenario closely linked to his own rhythms.

My poetry collection, "Rhythms of Identity", is a search to explore myself and to establish a linkage with others about whom I'm serious and restless. Its foundation is a human rhythm that shapes my essence and its object is to seek that global solidarity where I walk along with others despite my loneliness.

Well, loneliness, love, an empathy for humanity, a constant longing for the suffering millions and relationships are the rhythms that portray the essence of my identity. I can't have an identity that lives in total isolation. It must have a linkage to my inner self as well as to the outside world for a more fulfilled narrative.

In many of my poems I've referred to loneliness. which, to speak the truth, is a fact of life. But I've also exhibited as to how loneliness is transformed in to a piece of music that asserts my internal harmony amid restlessness.

Of course, I reveal my identity in many of my poems as a fighter for justice and a strong crusader against the vulgar face of a cruel, commercial civilisation.

Poetry is my life that keeps me going amid the ups and downs of existence! I take this opportunity to thank all my friends, relatives and well-wishers whose support and warm feelings for me have given me the strength to write endlessly.

**Contents and Sample Pages**