Main Uddin Ahmed
Akbar Haider Kiron, purely a gentleman, is here with a book of poetry in his hand. A journalist by profession he has not come to collect news this time. Once a young journalist in Dhaka is now here in New York working as the NY Correspondent of Voice of America with fame. Good-heart people usually go through some troubles in the society for their simplicity and Kiron was also not spared. Nature gave him chance to experience things sweet, bitter and what not!
Once there were times when Kiron also had good dreams, love and color. Like other Bengali speaking people dreams were in colorful fabric in his feelings when he wrote:–
“Shedin tomakey dekhey monay holo/ Hothath ki jeno jhokmok korsey/ Monay holo omabosshar ratey/ Biddut chomkey uthesey.”
In another poem he writes, “Sob smriti veshe othey moner pordae/ Tomar komal sparsha, govir alingon/ Tomar atolanto chumbon sob jeno jibonto monay hoe/ Ei sob smriti amake utola kore dae.”
As a sweet and simple nature person journalist Akbar Haider Kiron incidentally had to go through a lot of pain which awakened the poet in him. He in return has never threw the dust of pain to pain givers but he tried his level best to write honestly blaming the odds. He cooked poems blending all the sweet and bitter experiences.
In the meantime, friends discoved a poet in journalist Kiron. He wrote many poems at different times depicting the pains, sorrows and rare happiness in words. Feelings turned into a diamond knife to cut away all the dark and painful obstacle glasses from his heartland. He became enlightened with the poetic rays and stood straight bypassing all the negations. To express self he also could turn outspoken enough while pouring the feelings in the form of poetry.
At one stage he feels, “Sob kichui ekdin hariye jae/ Sokol kolahol themey jae” but could overcome the situation to write, “Sei valobashar kotha monay holay prochondo ghrina hoe/ Sei smriti shudhui amar mejaj kharap korey” and he raises the question to his previous lover, “Tomar noshtami ekhon kon porjaey/ Berechey na ki komechey janina/ Ekhonoki shameer obortomaney anya/ Keu tomar gharer sofae ghumae?”
After overcoming all odds poet Kiron remembers his mother and writes, “Amar mayer sathey telephoney golpo/ Korar somoy sinhovag jurey thakto/ Jackson Heightser nanan kotha.”
The name of the book containing the poems of Akbar Haider Kiron is, ‘Seven Train O Kichu Purono Premer Kobita’. The book was published by Mr Monirul Haq, propreitor of the publication house, ‘Ananya’ of Dhaka, Bangladesh. He laid utmost importance on Kiron’s poems while printing the book.
Let us now see what the poetrylovers and friends think about this poet. A friend at Jackson Heights in New York said, “Kiron writes well, we followed when gone rhrough his previous book titled ‘Jackson Heights Journal’.”
Another one, a poetry reader said, “Akbar Haider Kiron writes in simple language mixing the poetic emotion which makes his poems like flowing water and the speed pulls the readers very smoothly.”
A younman in Dhaka said, “Kiron Bhai’s book of poems will be good enough like him.”
A senior person expressed with pleasure that, Kiron wrote the poems sincerely and never tried to mass scholastic hazards in those writings which is enough to draw readers.
Poet Kiron in his mostly painful poetic journey could stand from the psycological fall after remembering the universal mothers’ role of women. The root form of women, the mother, inspires him to get up and stand strong but the memory was full of agony. Then in his poem mom says, “Tor janya ar kotodin bechey thakbo” and the poet cries, “Ma ar konodin phone dhorey boley uthbenna…”.
One of our friends, a journalist, said, ” Kiron’s book has the chance to become popular because he writes in understandable and simple language”.
The cover design of Akbar Haider Kiron’s book of poems ‘Seven Train O Kichu Purono Premer Kobita’ was drawn by Raghib Ahsan and the book is available at Ekushey Book Fair in Dhaka and Muktodhara in New York.
Preface of the book was written by poet-journalist Main Uddin Ahmed and the photo of the poet printed in the book was snapped by Neher Siddique. We expect more books from Akbar Haider Kiron in future.
