In the “The Amber Shell of Self,” published in 2011, Mahmud Kianush underscores the centrality of poetry in human communication. For Kianush, poetry serves as the primal lens through which humanity comprehends itself, its environment, and the enigmas of existence. He contends that from the dawn of civilization, humans have unravelled the intricacies of existence through poetic interpretation—a tradition perpetuated by genuine poets throughout history. While acknowledging the ancient notion that humans are inherently political beings, Kianush emphasises the preservation of humanity’s innate poetic essence, asserting that one must first embrace their poetic nature to authentically engage with the world.
Selected Poems from this Collection
Click on the title to view the entire Poem
Traveller in Soul
I am a traveller in my soul,
And the World is standing still,
Counting the steps of Time.
It Still Remembers
If the Sky still looks pure
and sacred,
It is not because we may see it
As a blue gate to Infinity,
To the Mystery, and beyond.
In a Petal
The green dance of willows
With an alluring summer breeze
Broke the heat of my haste,
And I lay down
on freshly mown grass,
Closed my eyes,
With my face
towards the eternal sun,
And my inner storm
died away.
The Song Remains
Perching on a blooming branch of rose,
The bird sang a melodious song,
Spreading his cry of joy
Across the void of silence.
Snow
There came the Snow
And with the fire hidden
In the purity of its whiteness
It obliterated
All colours, all weariness,
From the face of the earth.
O’ Snow
How pure,
How bright and beautiful
you are,
O Snow!
Pray return to your home!
What has brought you to my town?
Game of Love
The flower has prepared
A table of delicacies,
Rich in colour and fragrance,
Herself standing
with a bowed head
Serving the honeybee.
Our Struggle
Is it all in the hands of the wind?
Of all the winged seeds
Falling from the tree,
Many are blown away
To the gutters of ignorance,
To the fires of greed,
To the deserts of prejudice;
And only a few happen to land
On the banks of the ever-flowing river.
Read the complete book of poems:
“The Amber Shell of Self and other poems”
by Mahmud Kianush
Copyright shall at all times remain vested in the Author. No part of the work shall be used, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the Author’s express written consent.
