A Peacock’s Cry: seasons of haiku/ reviewed by Padma Priya

A Peacock’s Cry  seasons of haiku

Written by Neena Singh

(Sambhavna Prakashan, April 2025; 150 pp)

Some books stay with you, like a sweet melody that tugs at your heart, and you keep humming the tune softly. This haiku collection by Neena Singh is one such book. Even after you finish reading it, you tend to come back to it, opening it at a random page, savouring the haiku that presents itself there.

The cover art by Teji Sethi is very delicate and beautiful and works well with the title. The use of a single colour on the cover page design is visually appealing. The pages are thick, and the font selection is very neat. The ‘kigo motifs’ inspired by ‘gond art’ are done by Priti Aisola. They are beautiful, and the autumn and winter season motifs are my favourites.  Both the artists, being accomplished haiku poets themselves, have captured the spirit of the book very well in their artwork. The foreword by Alan Summers, founder of the 'Call of the Page' journal and a renowned haiku poet himself, is very insightful. The article on Kigo by Pravat Kumar Padhy, another renowned haiku poet, is very informative.

The book is divided into seasons in the traditional format of a haiku book.

The spring poems of Neena offer the reader the freshness of a new shoot.

spring clouds…

 magnolia blossoms

 scent the sky

There is an expansiveness depicted here where heaven and earth seem to meet through the clouds. Spring is one such season when everything feels expansive—growth and fresh beginnings along with positive vibes fill the air.

The scent of earthbound blossoms in the poem seems to scent even the sky. The entire scene is vivid, bringing in the lushness of spring along with the sense of smell. A taut haiku which fulfills the visual and olfactory senses of the reader.

    cherry blossoms…

    how we hold on

    to those we love

Cherry Blossoms represent the spring season and owing to their short life, they depict transience also. As Pravat Kumar says in his kigo article, “... they symbolize hope, mindfulness and transience of life… Neena juxtaposes it with the depth of love for our loved ones with thoughtfulness.”

In her summer poems Neena brings elements of beauty with ease.

  summer grass…

   I whisper my secret

  to the dew

This ku is full of child-like innocence, ambiguity and sweetness that goes with it. Who is the ‘I’ here? Is it a child or a young girl or boy who is sharing the secret? They are whispering it, not saying it aloud. What is it that is being whispered? What could be the secret? The reader has enough space to dream and interpret. The ku is as soft and tender as the dew itself. It is very visual and has an auditory image here—somebody whispering. A haiku that is beautiful in itself completely.

Monsoon is something that brings respite from the hot summers. Peacocks are harbingers of rain. Their cries are often heard in this season, as clouds gather in the sky.

   rain bath

  shedding the dust

  a peacock's cry

Here is a poem which is simple and beautiful. The scene is often seen in the rainy season, when the peacocks dance; they flutter their tail as they fan it out, almost as if they are shedding the dust. The observation made by the poet is very pertinent, and the picturisation is perfect in this haiku. The book's title is inspired by this haiku, the poet says.

Autumn is yet another beautiful season which depicts separation, loneliness and the like. Here is a poem that is poignant.

   new moon

   all the stories

   mom never told

On a new moon day, the moon is not visible. The poet juxtaposes this to the stories that a mother will not share with her children. Like the moon that cannot be seen, there are parts of her life that a mother has not revealed to the narrator in the poem. The poet very gently brings in the concept of how a mother protects her children by not sharing her tears or pain. The sadness that comes with the word 'never' in the third line. It hits one hard—the poignancy of it. A beautiful and thought-provoking story unfolds in a three-line haiku here.

Finally, the chilling winter arrives with its pristine and harsh beauty.

   deepening fog

   the faint white call

   of a grey heron

The auditory image of ‘faint white call’  in line 2, brings a unique sensory experience to the reader. The fog represents a deepening winter, and as the grey heron calls probably a white layer is formed at the beak as it exhales its breath. The thin white smoke that curls up is beautifully described as ‘faint’ here. Grey herons represent wisdom, self-reflection, solitude, nobility, and grace, among other things. This poem evokes a sense of solitude and silent reflection in the form of a heron.

I have chosen a few poems here, but each haiku in the book gives great pleasure to the reader. As the renowned haiku poet Kala Ramesh says, “Page after page, the music gains in strength and beauty. As we near the end of this symphony, I'm positive the reader will lay the book down with reverence and sigh of satisfaction.” 

How succinct and true for a wonderful book!