Ashok Sawhny

The Sands of Time and Other Poems Ashok Sawhny

There is a message of hope in these delightful poems that seems to match the 'I've seen it all and survived' tone of the collection. Writing in agreeably idiosyncratic verse, Ashok Sawhny looks back on the dreamworld of childhood - 'The Stars of Lahore' - and considers carefully the world his own grandchildren have inherited. He pokes fun at Man's greed and destruction - 'Mammon' and 'Global Warming, and all that' - and celebrates Nature, God's creatures, and what he calls 'The Drama of Life'. Indeed, his most touching poems concern the mysteries of time, falling in love and family life. By contrast, the 'Tribute to the Guardians of our Frontiers', a stark evocation of army life, makes a telling reminder that borders printed on maps don't always relate to a reality that has to be fought over. Here we have a book of hours, a chequerboard of nights and days, of jealousy and love, and an eloquent witness to Man's strange amalgam of folly and wisdom: Wise is he who understands The hourglass principle of Time and sands . . .