Can Poetry Halt War? by Meher Pestonji. Published in 2024 by Ukiyoto Publishing, Ukiyoto House, College Street, 15 Bankim Chatterjee Street, Calcutta 700073. www.ukiyoto.com. Pp: 66. Price: Rs160.
War, and especially the effects of war on civilians, has occupied the concerns of Meher Pestonji (pictured) for some time. In 2023 she published a collection of 14 short stories entitled Being Human in a War Zone. And now she has released a collection of more than 30 poems: Can Poetry Halt War?
She has no illusions, no hesitation in saying: unfortunately, it cannot. However, often in life, when confronted with a problem, one......