Central Time

The poems unfold in a mix of elliptical, conversational, and narrative modes, weaving in references to poets such as Ovid and Ghalib and to painters and sculptors whose work speaks across centuries. Sensory, tactile imagery—the roughness of stone, the dance of light, the tastes of salt and cinnamon—coexists with artefacts of memory and art, creating a rich, immersive experience. Written over a span from 2006 to 2014, the collection gathers a hundred poems that probe war, genocide, terror, forced migration, and the precariousness of belonging.

Readers encounter moments of encounter— a defiant squirrel in Anuradhapura, an enigmatic Berlin museum collection, or a man discovering a mass grave near Kabul—anchoring abstract themes in tangible, real-world scenes. The voice remains intimate and curious, balancing artful abstraction with concrete detail to illuminate how memory persists in the face of upheaval.

• a hundred-poem sequence exploring time, memory, and the evanescence of experience
• artistic conversations across eras and media, with references to Ovid, Ghalib, Bihzad, Magritte, Masaki Fujihata, and Ranbir Kaleka
• imagery-rich, sensuous language that blends lyric clarity with narrative depth
• themes of war, displacement, belonging, and resilience, anchored in vivid, moment-by-moment scenes
• readable, contemplative style that invites rereading and discussion among poetry and art enthusiasts

Readers finish with a sharpened sense of time’s fragility and the enduring power of art to witness lived experience. It invites curiosity, empathy, and a broader perspective on culture and history, leaving a lasting impression that lingers like a remembered image.