I Witness is Kapil Sibal's first sojourn into the literary sphere, a refreshing digression from his pragmatic and prosaic worlds of administration and policy-making. Mostly in rhyme, the poems are contemporary in theme, wickedly amusing, sharp and sparkling like cut glass. On the other hand, revelations of tenderness, longing and a certain tentativeness through romantic yet feisty love poems bare a hitherto hidden facet of a very public man. The poems move effortlessly between the private and public world of this closet poet. Emotions ranging from love to terrorism, Twenty 20 cricket to global warming and Antarctica are disarming yet perspicacious and strung together with sensitivity. And above all, there is the ability of the poet to laugh at himself. Incisive and insightful, the poems make for a delectable cordon bleu spread to be savoured by the discerning connoisseur.
