Taroka: Weaving Words, Melodies, and Emotions into Timeless Tales
Taroka weaves tapestries of verse and prose, a self-proclaimed mariner navigating the undulating ocean of words, with pen in hand as his oar. In the boundless ocean of narratives, he charts his course, steering through waves of metaphor and currents of dialogue, a solitary voyager in his literary craft.
Conversations with Van Gogh: A Walk Through Palette and Heart
Amidst a sky with suns that twin, o'er fields of paddy gold,
A trail we tread, 'neath whispering stalks, where tales of earth unfold. With Van Gogh's fervor in my soul, his palette in my heart,
We roam this gilded, vast expanse, where sky and canvas part.
Under the Twin Suns: A Bangladeshi-Canadian Odyssey
Taroka traverses the expanse between disparate lands, melding disparate cultures and identities into a tapestry rich with the essence of dual patriae. Each leaf of her tome escorts the reader down a path speckled by the spirited chroma of Bangladesh's animated avenues and the placid stretches of Canadian terrain. Hers is a narrative of symbiosis: the piquant scents of Bengali spices interlace with the brisk zephyrs of the Arctic, crafting a symphony of sensorial harmony beneath the canopy of a shared celestial lineage. In this confluence, recollections and visions fuse to forge an unparalleled voice, echoing the profundity of her intertwined inheritance.
Taroka: A bridge spanning East to West.
Words sail; Taroka captains the literary vessel
Taroka marries Dhaka with Banff's snowy peaks
Upcoming Books in English
The sinner and his sins
The poverty business
Mansur and His Dreams: The Bank Manager
The Dead Evening
In the year 1996, Taroka, crafted these verses in Bengali Language steeped in melancholy, a work known simply as 'The Dead Evening.' This poem was never destined for the bustling marketplaces of published works. Instead, it found its sanctuary in the intimate circles of friends and family, a cherished secret whispered from soul to soul.
Born from the depths of a challenge, a friendly gauntlet thrown down to capture the essence of sorrow in words, Taroka rose to the occasion. With a quill dipped in the inkwell of desolation, the poet composed stanzas that wept with the weight of twilight's lament.
In the hush of twilight's dimming play,
Once danced my laughter, wild and free,
A fool's parade in bright array,
Where jeers were cloaked in jollity.
I laughed till tears would grace my cheeks,
A madman's cackle in the wind,
But jests turned cruel, as bullies seek
To mock the joy they cannot find.
I walked, oh how I walked the miles,
A ceaseless march, no hand in mine,
My pace outstripped their lagging styles,
Alone, I crossed life's serpentine.
The road, it whispered secrets, low,
Of destinations I would never know,
For every step was met with stone,
And every stone, a sigh, a groan.
I toiled in sun's relentless blaze,
No silver weight to crown my hands,
I gave my hours, my nights, my days,
And built their castles in the sands.
They took my sweat, my soul's fair wage,
And laughed as they would turn the page,
For I, the drudge, in kindness' guise,
Was naught but joke in their cold eyes.
Now dusk descends, and with it, night,
Beside my door, I take my rest,
A figure drawn in fading light,
A shadow of what I once professed.
In this quiet eve, I sit and muse,
Dark-skinned, worn, with naught to lose,
My cottage torn, by time's cruel hand,
A silent testament, a no man's land.
Where is the laughter, jubilant, wild?
The stride, the purpose, of the child?
Gone with the wind, through the open door,
A man sits silent, forevermore.
Discover the Whispered Elegance of Taroka's Verse, Where Every Word Echoes with the Heart's Silent Symphony
Text Tune and Twinkling Tales
Between Two Worlds: My Journey as a Bangladeshi Novelist in Canada
Between Two Worlds: My Journey as a Bangladeshi Novelist in Canada
As I sit by the window, watching the Canadian snowflakes gently fall, my mind often wanders to the sunlit streets of Bangladesh. These two worlds, so starkly different yet intimately connected in my heart, shape my identity as a writer. My name is Taroka, and this is my journey as a Bangladeshi novelist trying to find his voice in Canada.
The Cultural Tapestry
When I first stepped onto Canadian soil, the bustling multicultural mosaic was both fascinating and overwhelming. Here, amidst the diverse faces and stories, I found myself reminiscing about my homeland, where traditions run deep and festivals colour every street. There were times when the isolation felt palpable, like a cold draft seeping in through a crack. The individualistic vibe of Canada, though liberating, often contrasted starkly with the close-knit bonds I was used to back in Bangladesh.
I was reminded of Nihad Sirees, the Syrian novelist who spoke of his life in exile, the dance between holding onto one's roots and embracing a new culture. His words resonated with my own experiences, navigating the complex intersections of my dual identity.
A Dance of Words
Language has always been my ally, but in Canada, it took on a new dimension. While my fingers danced on the keyboard, typing in English, my thoughts often swirled in Bengali. The rich tapestry of emotions, nuances, and history in Bengali is something I've tried to infuse into my English writings.
Leila Aboulela's journey, moving from Sudan to Scotland, and oscillating between Arabic and English, provided solace. Her writings reflected a linguistic duality, a mirror to my own experiences. I too, in my narratives, strive to merge the soul of Bengali into the structure of English.
Trust: The Bridge I Build
One of the most profound challenges I've faced is building trust. Trust with the locals here, who might view my stories as mere exotic tales, and trust with my Bangladeshi readers, who might fear I've drifted too far from our shared heritage. I often find solace in the words of Mohsin Hamid, who, despite living in the West, wove tales deeply rooted in his Pakistani origin. Through his stories, he built a bridge, and I aspire to do the same.
In this journey, with every word I pen, I attempt to intertwine the essence of both my worlds. My stories aren't just tales; they're heartbeats, echoing the rhythm of a life caught between two lands. Through my struggles with culture, language, and trust, I aim to craft narratives that resonate, not just with those who share my journey, but with anyone who has ever felt caught between worlds.
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info@taroka.ca