Restless Lives is the first poetry collection from bestselling author Harish Bhat. Collected over time and many moods, it gives voice to the restlessness that has accompanied Bhat throughout his life. There is a beguiling simplicity and lure to this work. The easy rhyme scheme and simple structure belie a depth that sneaks up on the reader.
Sample this seemingly innocuous line: the road to nowhere never has to bend. Bhat refers to the notion that for a wanderer there is no turn to make, there is no course correction, there is seldom a main road to go back to. In ‘A Dog at the Burning Ghats’, a mongrel speaks of the walking corpses and their absurd, aimless lives choosing instead the warmth of the funeral pyre to a hearth, for that at least is true.
The transient and brief nature of existence is another theme that runs through this collection. Which is perhaps Bhat’s antidote to the restlessness that plagues him. Will I ever chase my end of the rainbow... Or will I just be here until I depart? A lot of his writing also points to the hypocrisy and the lack of freedom afforded to us. In this context, he often questions what it means to be alive. In ‘My Stalker Takes a Million Forms’, he writes: At least pretend to be free; and in ‘Reflections on Clouds Seen from the Window of an Aircraft’: When do they live, these clouds of the sky? Do they live when they live, or live when they die?
Rooted in the present
Apart from tackling profound questions and timeless themes, Bhat is very much a purveyor of the contemporary. This collection spans financial scams, the death of a young schoolgirl, and through these, points once again to the indifferent nature of society. The only weakness this collection might have is the repetitive nature of its natural themes and metaphors, with some of the reflections appearing indulgent and adding little to the collection.
In Restless Lives, Bhat presents a wonderful companion for the weary reader. In giving voice to his restlessness and angst, he assures all of us that we are not alone. This is an engaging, thought-provoking collection devoid of hyperbole, and is relatable in its groundedness to the present.
Restless Lives
Harish Bhat
Ebury Press
₹399
The reviewer is a freelance writer and illustrator.
