-By SUDHIR J KUMAR

Sometimes reporting about an event needs more than facts and figures. One may describe what

his/her eyes saw and what his/her ears listened to, but it may not be always possible to express what one felt. It was a simple book launch invitation extended by a friend. The launch was meant for a poetry book titled ‘Hawa Mithai’. Even the poet’s name didn’t ring a bell. By chance I was not very occupied on that evening. The evening of 22nd May, which may still be forgotten after a few months. But what will remain there in my memories for long is how I got teleported to my childhood

days with the recitation of poems from the launched book by the poet Dr Harshvardhan Kumar.

In the exhibition room of Triveni Gallery near Mandi House, it was the last day of exhibition of paintings of Dr Vikram Kumar. The same was the launch venue of the book ‘Hawa Mithai’. On Friday evening, a limited number of people could make it to the event as it was the weekend before the summer vacation for most of the people. The poet started by sharing his journey and how many of the modern-day child literature creators kept inspiring him to continue his journey of writing. In the due course, he recited couple of poems written by those creators, which is usually not a usual site as self-promotion is the only thing that is often targeted at such events. But once he started reciting the poems from the book, slowly everyone was taken to their childhood memories, and I was no exception to that. The launch event was meant for half an hour but for more than an hour, people stayed glued to their chairs. The poems were not about life, but life itself. Anyone who comes from a small town or a rural background could feel the rawness of their own lived moments, through the poems written with simple words and recited with amazing voice of the poet. The poet kept reminding the audience about how important it is for all adults to be the protector of children and their childhood. While Dr Harshvardhan enchanted the audience with reciting his poems from the book and beyond at the event. He mindfully educated the listeners about how we must engage with children through poems, stories and other resources that encourage them to express themselves. His poems are not rhymes but pedagogic poems that form a ground for dialogue with children. The children in the world need opportunities for dialogue and care, probably more than ever. The healing effects of the poem need to reach as many hands as possible. This article may have made you curious about the poems without sharing a glimpse of them, but it is done intentionally here. The book has been published by Shaktam Foundation and is available for Rs 300, which is the cost of printing the book. The contribution through purchase of books will be used by the foundation to support the cause of children with special needs. This may give our readers one more reason to have ‘Hawa mithai’.