Author Description

"Abid Hussain is a poet who delights in the natural world and specifically in the exotic landscapes of his native Pakistan. His poems are lyrical, sensuous, sharply-observed and full of both insight and dignity. He is aware too of the random cruelty of nature, as when the graceful river he loved, 'wrapped in a peace of its own', delivers a bloated corpse, caught by the fierce currents. He writes in free verse though the swing and flow of his lines is very reminiscent of formal poetry. An exception is 'The Song of the Purple Sunbird', a charming rhyming and metrical poem written for his children. There's a gentle wistfulness to these poems. In the title poem the river, hard to cross, marks the boundary of a different world, a metaphor for the barriers that build in human relationships. Similarly, changing scenes and seasons are reminiscent of the cycle of human life. Even so the poet sees the natural world as sufficient in itself: 'Let others seek eternity/in promised worlds; I am content/with this world of fragrant colours/and bitter-sweet vicissitudes.' These poems are both accessible and profound and I found them a delight to read."<br> ~ David Gwilym Antony