Arvind Krishna Mehrotra Poem by Bijay Kant Dubey

What is he, I understand it not,
A modernist, post-modernist or avant-gardeist,
A poet of Allahabad,
But one dislocated and displaced definitely
Telling of things surreal,
Talkative and conversational,
Poetical not, un-poetical
As means it not
What he says, communicates
Apart from situational, circumstantial.

A poet not, going to bazaar,
Buying things, enquiring about rates,
Meeting people on the way,
Seeing things,
Smiling not,
In a vortex of thoughts and ideas,
A poet un-poetical,
Himself confused
Confusing others.

His white and flowing beards
Not Tagorely,
But the kaash grass blooms
Similar to white beards
Long and flowing,
A saint poet not,
But earthly and mundane,
Disordered and disarranged,
Never transcendental and metaphysical,
A poet surreal,
Talking and going.

Poetry to Mehrotra is gossips,
Conversation,
Talks,
Tidbits of thought and idea,
Poetical not,
U-npoetical,
A poet confused
And misinterpreting poetry,
A poet not,
But a non-poet as a poet.