Soft Storm

Abhi Subedi's free verse poem "Soft Strom" beautifully combines societal and nature depictions. In a deeper sense, it portrays people's feelings of indifference toward the miserable conditions and suffering of the people, male practices, turbulent atmosphere, and chaos in Nepalese society. On the surface, it shows the speaker's journey through the small streets and lights of Kathmandu at night.

In the first verse, the poet utilizes words like turbulence, spooky, and so on to convey an environmental disorder in Nepalese society before switching to a more positive state with the line "sky bloomed like crocuses," which alludes to Irish floral family plants blossoming over stones. Five inches is the maximum height of these plants. When the moon is about to set, he speaks on posters about various social events, politics, and other topics. It describes a gathering of people talking about social events while they are in front of one another. From his rooftops, he sees the tenderness of the rose "like a gale," and by fusing nature and society, he softens once again. He employs this analogy to critique many societal wrongdoings carried out by members of society and to combine two contrasting themes, such as the gentleness of a rose and the might of a violent wind. Then he depicts a continuous metropolis with the moon singing and lightning, which for some people denotes a city with a relaxed and comfortable attitude.

He describes destitute and parentless youngsters in Thamel in the second verse, pleading for food and shelter. He condemns corrupted political figures through this who are more concerned with their own families and personal interests than with the welfare of their underprivileged constituents and orphans. These potential pillars are in danger and endure appalling conditions. The predominance of social problems in the nation is one of the main causes of all of this. On the other hand, he remembers his earlier days when people could truly enjoy freedom as he returns from such a commotion (confusing area) where people were dancing with crazy steps, having parties and ceremonies in skyscrapers, and staying in large hotels.

In the third stanza, he softens once more as he imagines a lonely and miserable child wearing a transistor around his neck who is crying and wandering the streets looking for his mother. The youngster is petrified. A man gets brutally beaten in front of his family members for no apparent cause. It asserts that people are apathetic to one another and that dominance is supreme in the moment. The speaker rebels against the system as a result of these unlawful actions.

The poet depicts a man in the fourth verse who has a bloodied shirt and bruised human lips but is mute because the strong inhabitants of the night have muffled his voice. The game of hide-and-seek connects the landowners and the laborers.

The speaker laments that the words were not heard and that the storm had not yet arrived for its Leela in the fifth stanza (play).

In the sixth stanza, the poet uses mature Irish floral plants growing over the stone, storms affecting public areas, and the sun shining with a rainbow's worth of colors to convey his favorable thoughts for the locals. Other metaphors, such soft storm, silent pages, forlorn clothing, feasts for the gods, and so forth, are in disarray because they are controlled by the troubling rulers of the country.

He lists many reasons for his soft heart in the seventh stanza, including priceless objects, modern men's selfishness and apathy, criminal behavior, a troubled and spoilt mother earth as a result of human misbehavior, and the horrible existence of other vulnerable species. In the closing line of the poem, the speaker emphasizes the necessity for independence for not only himself but also for all the creatures living in this nation. He enjoys the beautiful sky and wants to dance freely, unrestricted by societal obligations, to the relaxing natural melody of peaceful storms and melodious birdsong in an endless circle.

Points to remember 

• The poet initially depicts the disorder in Nepalese culture using adjectives like "tumultuous" (confused noise) and "eerie." (frightened)
• He then shifts to a more upbeat tone by claiming that the sky "grew like crocuses,"(small spring flower) alluding to the Irish flowering plants that bloomed over the stones. These plants now reach a height of around five inches more. 
• When the moon is just ready to set, he starts talking about political posters and various other international events. 
• It's a phrase used to describe how people converse with one another about social occasions. 
• When he notices the tenderness of roses blowing like a gale (strong storm) from his home's roofs, he softens once more. 
• He utilizes this simile to illustrate how individuals in society behave badly by comparing how gentle a rose is to how forceful a wind is.
• He draws a comparison between the moon's singing and the light, which some people find easy and comfortable, and a seamless metropolis (city).
• He discusses youngsters in Thamel who are without parents and are living in poverty throughout. 
• Politicians who are corrupt only care about themselves and their families, not the underprivileged and orphans in their nation. 
• These potential pillars are in danger and are not living well. 
• The predominance of social illness in the country is one of the key causes of this. 
• However, when he returns from a region where people were partying, dancing erratically, and holding weddings in enormous hotels and towers, he remembers how liberated people once were.
• There is an abandoned child weeping and searching for his mother everywhere. 
• When he considers the young youngster wearing a transistor around his neck and searching everywhere for his mother, his heart begins to soften once more. The kid is terrified. 
• Unknown reasons are given for viciously beating a man in front of his own family. It claims that in today's world, power is spread out and people don't pay attention to one another. The speaker is enraged with the government over these unlawful practices.
• The poet depicts a man, whose lips are cut and whose shirt is smeared with blood, who is mute because the night's strong inhabitants have muffled his voice. Owners of land and those who operate on it engage in a game of hide and seek.
• Leela or the divine play haven't been anticipated, but they haven't been heard or stormed either.
• The poet illustrates the growth of Irish blooming plants over the stone, storms streaming into public spaces, and the sun shining in a rainbow of hues to convey an optimistic outlook for the town's population. 
• In addition to the chaotic environment brought on by a nation with oppressive regimes, there are various other instances of disarray, such as mild storms, silent pages, dejected attire, and religious festivities.
• He discusses some of the things that soften his heart, including priceless items, greedy people, lawless people, a mother earth that has been messed up and destroyed, and the miserable lives of other helpless animals. 
• The speaker declares that he needs freedom for both himself and all the animals on this planet. He prefers a clear sky and the freedom to move freely while listening to the lovely sounds of nature, such as a soft storm and the charming chirping of birds, in an endless circle.