Kunwar Siddharth
Poetry
From as early as I can remember, poetry was my first inspiration and a way to express myself in childhood. My earliest encounter came in first grade, nervously standing in front of my class and reciting "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep" with all the earnest pride a five-year-old could muster. That simple nursery rhyme opened a door for me, one that led to performing on school stages, writing my own verses, and singing the rhythmic cadences of quawwalis with my classmates.
As I grew older, mathematics and computer science began to occupy most of my time. Even so, during my B.Tech and later my M.Tech, I often found myself returning to the stage, reciting powerful poems like "If" by Rudyard Kipling and "Ulysses" by Alfred Lord Tennyson.
Inspiration from Tagore
Living in Bengal for two years deepened my connection to poetry even further. The atmosphere there seemed alive with verses, and I was drawn irresistibly to the works of Rabindranath Tagore—especially Gitanjali and The Gardener. Their spirituality, rhythm, and quiet introspection rekindled my desire to write. Tagore's poetry resonated deeply with me and inspired me to begin my own collection. After two years, this collection grew into a self-published book titled "The Birds of Passage." Eager to study further, I moved to the United Kingdom to pursue an MA in Creative Writing. Here, I gained broader exposure and began participating in stand-up poetry events across the UK—in Reading, Oxford, Portsmouth, and London. I read from my own book and shared works from Tagore, Rumi, Khalil Gibran, and Maya Angelou.
My writing and critical thinking are deeply inspired by the works of Noam Chomsky, Aldous Huxley, Gautama Buddha, Nagarjuna, Shantideva, Rabindranath Tagore, Howard Zinn, Rumi, Rupi Kaur, Maya Angelou, Albert Einstein, David Bohm, and Ernest Hemingway.
Urdu/Hindi Poetry
Although Urdu and Hindi are my first languages, I have rarely been able to write in them, as my academic journey has always been rooted in reading and writing in English. However, I have recently started composing poetry in Urdu as well.
Poem 1
इस रोशनी में जीते हैं सभी के मंजिल ए मोहब्बत हंसिल हो। हर शाम को, हर सुबह, भिड़ में या टूटते इरादों में ढूढ़तें हैं हम अपना मुक्कदर। ये जो रोशनी है जैसी तसव्वुर हो हमारे बरकत का, हौसलों का और ख़ूबसूरती का। इसी की तपन ने तराशा है हमें, संजोया है हमें टूट के बिखरने के बाद। इस कारवां ए मोहब्बत में ये जो रोशनी है वो ही हमारा जीवन है।
Poem 2
इस जहाँ में रोशनी देते, ज़िंदगी देते, शफ़क़त की निगाहें और हक़ जताने वाली मीठी बोलियाँ, इनकी इबादत कीजिए, और क्या कीजिए। हार जाइए अपने दिल को इस मुकम्मल जहाँ के ख़ातिर, हार जाइए सब कुछ, और क्या कीजिए।
Poem 3
मंजिल की जुस्तजू में खाक ए जमीं हो गए हैं गालिब अब बस धूप अच्छी लगती है, बारिश मरहम देती है, चिड़ियों की आवाज़ गीत लगती है और हर पुकार मोहब्बत।