Satori is a Japanese word that means ‘awakening,’ the Buddhist equivalent of the beginning of the path to enlightenment.
As the title of this book of poetry, it represents moments in the journey of human experience. A journey which, whether seen as meaningless or as filled with purpose, is nevertheless fascinating and tantalizingly invites us to explore its mysteries and contradictions.
At one level, the poems express universal emotions and the well-known themes of ghazals -pain of loss or separation and the beauty of love in spite of that pain. However, these themes are sprinkled with philosophical musings, existential questions, cynical reflections, and some “aha!” and “oh-no!” perspectives.
Of course, the words acquire meaning based only on the reader’s interpretation… an interpretation which often comes as a surprise to the writer.
Most of the poems follow the ghazal form, with rhyming couplets and a refrain, with each line sharing the same meter. However, some are written in free verse. The dominant language is Urdu but is often supported and enriched with Hindi.
