A peep in to the Poetics of Dr.Maqsood Jafri's Songs of Humanity

By: Dr. Molly Joseph

Who else can be 

better equipped than one who braved religious and political extremism for the cause of humanity got attacked and shot, and could outlive all its trauma, to emerge stronger and to flaunt high the flag for world peace and harmony...

hitting upon Existential Spirituality as the one elixir for this ailing World. In "Songs of Humanity' Dr. Maqsood Jafri is scripting out hi credos for a better world with the fire and passion of poet -prophet, tracing his travails through the razor's edge realties Uprooted from Kashmir to Pakistan, (Poem- A Cup of Coffee ) seeking refuge in America, the fire, the zest to redeem a world lost in insanity is his guiding passion

Here is a soul seeking true spirituality that permeates, percolates everywhere.. between men and men, nature, flaura and fauna, the crow, the dog, every existent object, be it the river or rock, the sky, the star or the splendour and mystery of the multiverse. It envelops all as the"universal consciousness", the immanent and the eternal.

When mind grows commensurate, co extensive with the universe, it accomodates all, understands all and

loves and cares for all.

In the poem 'Destiny, Destination '

we get the resonance...

"Be an ocean, if you want to live with grace and grandeur

Let us come out of the mire of religious and ethnic fights"

Sometimes the exhortation takes pure prosaic planes of a pungent harangue..

"Threats to life, honour, to family, to property : it is feudal democracy. It is bureaucracy, mobocracy, plutocracy aristocracy, but not democracy "

(Dignities and Indignities)

Same tone prevails in

"Ditties on Democracy"

"The balloons fly in the sky with all temporary pomp. and show.

 But get blasted by

the prick of the needle of pressing times.

Men of convictions are

the men of value prevailing for ever."

Poems like the Dying Dog, Lamentation of a Crow, are poignant pointers to men to care

for nature and to learn the great spiritual lessons of empathy, sharing and togetherness. When one crow is in jeopardy, all the rest hover round to help, to weep..

In 'The Cry of Orphans ' we get the same zestful plea, to provide adaptive homes, and share community resources.

There is real divinity in seeking the Godself in others, reaching out to them.

"If we love God we will have to love man:find God in man. "

 (Inter Faith Dialogue )

Infact the whole gamut of poems is soaked in this glowing "Existential Spirituality "

There is no negation of each part of our existential edge. The poetic heart revels in beauty of flowers, flowering of human relations, (Marriage)

Be in and into things, these poems invite us, raising, addressing pertinent issues for which we jointly have to seek out answers..

Reading the poems was an experience in itself.

It was such a shady nook these poems offered for the tired soul in this wartorn, sweltering heat.

The solace it offers to bruised minds is unique, instilling hope..

The sincerity of a committed soul to warp out a new world shows through, inspiring all.

Every thing has to be cared for, nature, the river, the insect..

Here is broad flow of the love of humanity encompassing all..

Well summed up in "My Poetic Mission "

"I desire change, I dream for moderation

I cannot see people divided. I improvise love, I implore Justice!"

Songs of Humanity, thus sweeps over the shores of human consciousness, scripting

out the core mission of our lives here on earth in tandem with the cosmic eternal melody. 

Pray good sense prevails... may the "Songs of Humanity," sanity prevail over the din, the sound and fury of the roaring waves of contemporaneity.

Kudos to Dr. 

Masqood Jafri, the visionary and social reformer in the garb of a philosopher poet!

( Dr. Molly Joseph is an eminent poetess of English language and internationally recognized literary scholar)