"তার ও আগে বৃষ্টি নামুক আমাদের বিবেকের মরভূমিতে/ সেখানে মানবতা ফুল হয়ে ফুটুক, /আর পরিশুদ্ধ হোক ধরা,হৃদয়ের গ্লানি..."--শফিকুল ইসলাম

"Let There Be Rain" (TABU O BRISTY ASHUK) A MASTER PIECE OF POETRY OF SHAFIQUL ISLAM Reviewed By Prof ABDUL GANI Poetry is the result of a poet's soul appeal. Poetry is the artistic reflection of real life with its various experience. Like life a variety of expectations ,feelings, failures, reputation etc. root existence in poetry. A poet from a moment's emotion tries to give a relief to his subject matter of poems, with artistic glamour. A commonplace man throws all his feelings unknowingly into the times chasm where as a poet bind those feelings with language in the frame of words. A poet gives on artistic attraction of beauty hidden in word frame of language .So the poets special moment becomes an eternal feeling going through the book ‘T0BU O BRISTY ASHUK’ of Shafiqul Islam .I like other readers of poetry think so as mentioned above .'Tobu O Bristy Ashuk" is Islam's fourth book of poetry. His other books are "Aie Gor Aie Lokaloy", "Akti Akash O Onek Bristy", "Shrabon Diner Kabbyo"and Megh Bhanga Ruddur" . The poems in the book ‘T0BU O BRISTY ASHUK’ prove that the poet cherishes a separate unique poetic existence in his mind .These poetic existence unlike his daily practical existence bear an eternal human value .The poet's present book has been published with 41 pieces of poems. In the first poem of this book 'Bohu Din Par Aaz'(Today after a long time) the poet wants rain as the en-masse people desire. After a long prolonged thirst /draught people desire rain. But the poet's thirst or desire is not like the one of the common people .The poet with a thirsty soul desire rain all over the earth hunger and poverty-stricken Iteopea, Sudan and misfortune-hit Africa. These desire being more widened should awaken the desert of our conscience .Thus the poems of this book originating from nature to the poet's personal life express an eternal value. Here is a poet's success. Man's love for man /man's affection should spring out spontaneously mingled with rain .All the thirsty soul should taste and bring about the rain water for all ,The last poem of the book "T0BU O BRISTY ASHUK" is `Ei Gaan Ei Sur’. This short verse makes the existing practical personality a real poet adorning himself with love and truth . Poet Shafiqul Islam through his short volume of poems try to make us realize that human life should be great in the sense of feeling and emotion ,love should be main agent of that feeling. Man for the sake of his inner appeal has tried to make earth soaked with water (love /affection etc) despite all the hard rules of reality only for love ,with love, in love .As love is prevailing in the root of creation, it is as in the inspiration of art. The poet successfully and wonderfully bring out this inner truth in his poems. In his poems, the poet adorns love like a real man .Sometimes as a patient fellow. The poet has seen life not as a bed of roses because he finds a wonderful fusion (mixture) of joy and sorrow in life . In his poem ‘Ekjon Birjodda’ the poet paints a winner solder's life . But this great freedom fighter had to lose his life by the traitors in his own land . The "T0BU O BRISTY ASHUK" has a romantic atmosphere but it ends with a tragic tone. The poet adorns her with a host of flowers but love seems not for him. So in several poems, the poet hints us about his soft realization of life. Humanity wins personal needs, hopes, desires and expectations of the poet. His love does not stay fixed for a long time on his beloved. In short the poet is not a demoting lover. His love of romance turns into a real humanitarian love. It has crossed the boundary of his own wishes to common men's wishes. The poet with his secluded but practical busy life dedicates his every moment serving the common men, society and the state. The book "Tabu O Bristy Asuk" is undoubtedly a wholesome piece of art which shows Shafiqul Islam both as a real man and an ideal man.