Rajorshi Patranabis: ‘Gossips of Our Surrogate Story: Prose Poems’

Immortal poetry has the unique ability to transcend time, space, and reality, offering glimpses into worlds both seen and unseen. Rajorshi Narayan Patranabis’s Gossips of Our Surrogate Story: Prose Poems is one such literary journey—an ethereal collection that blends mythology, mysticism, nature, and the raw depth of human emotions. The poems in this book are more than mere words on a page; they are whispers of an ancient romance, echoes of forgotten chants, and invocations to forces beyond the tangible. With each poem, the reader is invited into a realm where celestial love and earthly passion entwine, where devotion and longing are as vast as the night sky, and where the past, present, and future merge in poetic symphony.

A Love Beyond Time: The Mythology of Osiris and Isis

At the heart of this collection is a profound narrative drawn from ancient Egyptian mythology—the timeless love story of Osiris and Isis. Osiris, the god of the afterlife, and Isis, the moon goddess, have a love that transcends mortality, a devotion that survives separation, resurrection, and divine destiny. Patranabis does not merely reference this myth; he immerses himself within it, embodying Osiris’s voice and expressing a yearning that feels both deeply personal and boundless.

In the hauntingly beautiful line “I surrogate myself as Lord Osiris — the Moon”, the poet assumes the essence of the god, merging his own voice with the celestial presence he invokes. This line suggests a sense of surrender to fate, an acceptance of transformation, and a deep alignment with the cosmic forces that govern love and longing. The speaker does not merely observe mythology; he becomes a part of it, making the reader feel as though they, too, are stepping into an ancient tale that continues to unfold across the heavens.

Love, in this collection, is not simply an emotion—it is an enduring force, a presence that exists beyond physical proximity. The phrase “I am your dark moon, eclipsed for eternity” evokes an image of a love that persists through shadows and silence, a bond that exists even when unseen. Like the moon, which remains even when hidden from sight, devotion in these poems exists in the quiet spaces, in the pauses between words, in the moments when one is absent yet never truly gone.

Mysticism and the Language of Ritual

Beyond mythology, these poems resonate with the energy of ancient wisdom and ritual. There is an almost chant-like quality to the verses, as if they hold the echoes of prayers spoken to the universe long ago. The presence of Wiccan influences and the invocation Tua Anset (a sacred call to Isis) reinforce the spiritual essence of this collection. Patranabis does not simply write about devotion; Rajorshi Patranabis crafts a language that feels almost sacred, as though each word carries the weight of something divine.

This mystical quality is further emphasized in the line “The Goddess needs to smile too, to exude strength, to fall in love, to remember Osiris”. Here, the poet reminds us that even celestial beings experience the complexities of human emotion. Goddesses, though powerful, are not removed from the depths of longing, desire, and the need for connection. There is a gentle insistence that love—whether mortal or divine—is a force that shapes, strengthens, and transforms.

The poet’s language does not follow conventional structures; instead, it flows like a river, creating its own path, its own rhythm, its own meaning. In this way, the book itself becomes a kind of incantation—a poetic ritual that draws the reader into its world, urging them to not just read, but to feel, to sense, to absorb the magic woven into its lines.

Reflections on Love, Distance, and Identity

While mythology and mysticism form the foundation of this collection, there is also an intensely personal element within its verses. Rajorshi Patranabis speaks not only as Osiris but as a lover, a seeker, a soul navigating the complexities of connection and distance.

The line “I remain your cause, your silence, your guarded arrogance” carries an emotional weight that feels deeply human. It speaks of relationships marked by unspoken words, by roles we play, by the ways we hold ourselves back even as we long to reach out. Love, in this book, is not always immediate or easy; it is something that exists within and beyond us, something that we struggle to define yet cannot escape.

There is also an exploration of love as something fluid, something that changes with time and perception. In “My love is a rainbow, painted in translucence”, Patranabis portrays affection not as a single, static experience, but as a shifting spectrum of emotion—vivid yet delicate, ever-present yet elusive. This reinforces the idea that love, like light, exists in many forms, revealing different facets depending on how it is viewed.

The Seasons of Emotion: A Journey Through Time

One of the most striking elements of this collection is its use of natural imagery to mirror the cycles of emotion. Love and longing are not presented as fixed states; instead, they evolve, shift, and re-emerge in different forms, much like the changing of seasons.

The poems paint a world where roses darken in color, where winter arrives with bare feet, where summer carries the weight of promises made long before. These images do not just describe nature; they reflect the ebb and flow of emotion, the way love can feel like the warmth of spring, the solitude of winter, or the intensity of a storm.

The presence of time in these verses is undeniable. The past lingers, the future whispers, and the present exists in a delicate balance between memory and anticipation. Through these shifting landscapes, the poet reminds us that love—whether mortal or divine—is always in motion, always changing, always returning in some form.

An Experience Beyond Words

To read Gossips of Our Surrogate Story by Rajorshi Patranabis is to step into a world that exists between reality and myth, between history and eternity. The collection does not simply present poems; it offers an experience, a sensation, a lingering presence that stays with the reader long after the last page is turned.

Each poem is a thread in a larger tapestry, weaving together themes of devotion, mystery, transformation, and longing. The imagery is rich, the emotions raw, the language hypnotic. This is poetry that does not just ask to be understood—it asks to be felt, to be absorbed, to be carried within the reader’s own consciousness.

As the final words Tua Anset — You’re the Isis I know resonate, they leave behind a sense of something eternal, something beyond time, something that speaks to the soul.

For those who seek poetry that bridges mythology, introspection, and the unseen currents of love and existence, this collection is a rare and beautiful find. Patranabis has crafted a book that does not just tell a story—it breathes life into a world where gods and mortals, past and present, dream and reality all exist in a timeless dance.

This is not just poetry. This is magic, written in verse.