As Time Goes by

Ashok Sawhny's second volume of poetry focuses on charming scenes from nature and everyday life on the one hand, and the 'big issues' of our times on the other. In the longer pieces he discusses with some vexation the problems of borders and ideological divides [Kashmir and Partition], and possibly his finest work is revealed in the wide-ranging An Interpretation of History. Dictators, peacemakers, film stars, politicos and beasts of the field and jungle all rub shoulders in this refreshing collection, with its quirky metaphors and amusing rhymes. As the collection nears its end we reach a selection of aphorisms in prose and verse that reflect the author's nostalgic but slightly cynical stance as he surveys fallen empires, mankind in self-destruct mode, and the enigmatic web of fate that involves us all.