Ruthi Reads!: Book Review: All Our Fictional Dreams by Kushal Poddar

All Our Fictional Dreams
by Kushal Poddar
Lulu, 2010, US
Poetry, 24 pages
Paperback, $10.00
ISBN: 5-800043-522768
Review by Ruth Cox

By the light of the sun or by the light of the moonbeam, as author Kushal Poddar would say, Live amid life to dream about a perfect world. In All Our Fictional Dreams, Poddar leads the way to do just that as we follow his poetic pathway. As a prelude, imagine hailing a taxi and the driver asks, Whereto? And, You ask the driver to bring your home closer so you can see who is living in it. Imagine!

Nothing is haphazard, neither creative thought nor versed word, as the ink flows from Poddar's pen to the colorless paper. Just as does the artist Van Gogh -- he colors pages all. From "The Box Kite" where his clouds conspire to where the sun will turn liquid by the stairs of "Hesitant Lighthouse," Poddar colors our world with our dreams as we meander along as brothers of the living.

In Poddar's verse, "Story of Two Brothers," you will kneel by the river; the stream of death and of life, slowly living forever. And in "The Conflict of Season" green is the color springing to life as the author tells us, ignore the age, time, and season. As Poddar would say, We are brothers beyond blood, time, or space.

Kushal Poddar's exquisite use of metaphorical imagery allows us to experience the exact place he has led us to: the scene of our dreams and our mind's ponderings. We're meant to follow his lead line from "Imagine" -- Imagination is where truths begin.

The author Kushal Poddar lives by the light he shares in All Our Fictional Dreams. By the light of day, he adheres to what is right, practices living and practices law; by the light of night, poetry and prose he writes, words life-giving and words without flaw.

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I once asked the author: Kushal, not only are you a man of law and a poet of fame headed for fortune in same, you are a teacher, to me, as I have learned more by your use of imagery and metaphors hidden within your verse than any and all I've read. Where, when, did you first begin this abundant collection you've stored in your mind?

His response: Ruthi, I began writing as a challenge...can I write like the poets I read...I ask way back as a kid of six years old who only knew Bengali. I pick inspirations from everywhere, from the blind alley to the lofty sky…I used to get hold of the lines from railway stations, from the conversation with the friends, newspaper headings…nowadays I have made it a habit of writing two poems at least a day. Sometimes by writing a random word and waiting for the muse to revolve around the word.

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This review is written and ©Ruth Cox. Reviews written by Ruth Cox are the sole property of said reviewer. This book review is written for and first posted to: Ruthi Reads! No monetary compensation is received in exchange for the writing of this review.

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Since I had purchased All Our Fictional Dreams directly through Lulu.com (via Dawn D. Kilby) I'd asked Kushal to send me a postcard to place with the book. Along with the two beautiful postcards I received and share with you below, I also had the pleasure of Kushal penning a postcard poem to me, which you may read here: The Postcard To The Hill Road