Tracing the path of Odrishho Rongin Osru

It's not every day that you would sit with a book of poetry, the cosmopolitan hustle and bustle has robbed us of a variety of quiet pleasures. We want things is 'twenty-words-or-less' to accommodate our shrinking attention span. Yet, the tired souls need that missing element to be human. Odrishho Rongin Osru (Colours of Invisible tears) may be that bridging element, if not more.

This selection of poetry is Tanziral Dilshad Ditan's first attempt at publishing her own work. Ditan, who has worked in brand marketing from renowned agencies for corporate giants for last 15 years, mentions that the poems are mostly written in 2004/ 2005 and it was her parents who were pushing her to publish those. She however was still gathering her scattered thoughts and the final push came from eminent poet Asim Saha, and Selina Hossain.

The delightful end result came out in this year's Ekushey Boi Mela.  And what a treat it is!

If you are expecting a simple little book or booklet, think again. The twenty compiled poems are printed on separate cards. Poetry is not the only thing being showcased in this selection, the paper package that contains the poem cards announces itself with a vibrant painting from Ditan. In fact, all twenty cards have Ditan's original artwork on them.

As for the poems themselves, Mounota (Silence), Jhinuker Kanna (Tears of the sea shell), Karo Kichu Jay Ashe Na (Nothing matters to anyone), Bondona (Prayer), Proshno (Question) are all reader favourites.

Initially Ditan came up with the title 'Colours of Invisible Tears' to have a campaign against mental abuse which leads to drugs, depression, and other mental illnesses which is still a taboo in our country. That campaign is still work in progress, but she thought of the Bangla name for the book as she wanted to create a platform. She is now working on the English version called 'Colours of Invisible Tears,' which will not be poems, but stories.

This collection can be yours from Rokomari.com and Bengal Boi. In your hand, it is not just a collection of poems or a booklet, but also a gift which you can share with twenty of the people closest to your soul!

Art work by Tanziral Dilshad Ditan