From the pen of Z. T. Balian has emerged a new creation, Resounding Tinkles, a compilation of poems and haikus titled, seemingly paradoxically, by juxtaposing loud reverberation against light, clear sound. And the collection lives up to its name.
The book is a veritable treasure trove with fifty-four poems and twice as many haikus in the English language. The two formats are indeed different but, in both forms, run the deep emotions and sensitivity of the author. I specifically mention the English language because Z.T. is multilingual and writes in Armenian (Hayeren) also and has additionally translated from French, Arabic, and Turkish as well.
The book is a large smorgasbord of emotions and of reflections on the human condition. From the mundane or worldly –
“Stocks fell like dead stars into
A black hole”
to the sensual and even eerie –
“We found each other and
Huddled together for dear life
A mockingbird kept circling
Above our heads”
to the spiritual sentiments of –
“But the golden yellow of the Sun is resurrected
Unassumingly, like Christ
Over our green mountains”
“Making sense of a cruel world
Life and death juxtaposed
The torment of living
As Christ’s flagellation”
and the Shinto deity, “the kami of love” or the “numinous mandala” both of Asia. The theme of resurrection is referenced more than once and there is even a poem celebrating the ‘Year of the Snake.’
The most touching is the understated reference to the Armenian Genocide in ‘Grandma’s Scarf’
“I’m the inheritor
of your lone muslin scarf”
In truth, the inheritor not only of the scarf but also of the ethos of Armenians and the poignancy of the genocide (“the sole genocide survivor”). Armenian words like medz mama, Haralez, Vahagn, Nhang, Aramazd subtly reminds the reader of the Armenian heritage.
The poet’s mastery of the language is evident in evocative lines such as
“The precipice of disappointments”
“Faux pas are welcome gifts”
“Kindred souls in our
Virtuality and transience” (in reference to the affection of a cat)
Or the despondent lines of:
“Hells created on Earth
Dress-rehearsals of what awaits
Simulations of existence on
Satan’s promised land
There are also poems that read like the verses of popular songs, with a bit of Donne added:
“Hold me in your arms
And we can measure
The time and space
Of our embrace”
“Still aghast – after all these years
I stand before
What fate has conjured up
Yet once again
Each day is an empty page”
The poet’s creativity is evident in ‘Waiting for…*’ which is in the form of a dialogue between lovers.
I must confess also that my vocabulary was enhanced by coming across words such as numinous, nihility, estival (aestival), fugacious, etc.
The haikus in the book are distilled gems of poesy and feeling composed in the Japanese tradition with the notable exception that they do not conform to the original pattern of seventeen syllables, in three lines of five – seven – five. This I attribute to poetic license and the medium not being Nihongo. Nevertheless, the haikus evoke the same feelings as their Japanese counterparts do.
Here are a few that struck a chord in me.
“a glove left behind
taken shape as the vengeful fist
of a love long gone”
“flowers withering in a few hours
life’s fragility –
what a difference a day makes…”
“a rainbow longed for after a deluge
the thread connecting the heavens to earth –
an iris fluttering in the wind”
All in all, a delectable volume of verse from a multifaceted poet. Highly recommended for all who love the English language and the cultural diversity it encompasses.
Congratulations to Z. T. Balian, the poet, are in order for this book of poems and haikus.