This is Sanjeev Sethi’s eighth volume of poetry, compiled as the blurb says, to celebrate ‘the rugged tenure of his sixtieth season’. True to the title, it is indeed legato without a lisp as words flow seamlessly, invoking Mnemosyne to deliver essential truths of human existence with unerring insight. The themes of these verses encompass nostalgia, reflections on life and living, as well as the art of creative expression.
Sethi has been variously described as a ‘master wordsmith’ and a cerebral poet, and I fully concur with these definitions. His meticulous attention to craft and his assiduity in selecting words and framing images makes an indelible impact on the reader, lofting his poetry to dizzy heights. These terse poems, none of them more than a page length, showcase the expertise of a highly talented and seasoned poet who can make a weighty statement in the space of a few compact sentences. This brevity along with an oblique approach challenges the reader to engage deeply to get to the core, and it is always rewarding.