Quest as a poem has been taken from Scattered Beads collection which was published by Writers Workshop, Calcutta in 1989. His other work, Passionate Pilgrim appeared in 1994 from the same house. Sobriety, narrative depth, poetic vigor, verve, elegance, dexterity and tale-tell elements are some of the intrinsic qualities of the poet which he excels in so deftly.

Kulwant Singh Gill used to teach in the Department of Journalism, Languages and Culture of Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana and held different positions as Associate Prof., Head of the Department and so on from time to time.  He was a member of the Post-Graduate Board of Studies in English of Punjab University, Chandigarh. He received his Ph.D. in English for his thesis on The Element of Agnosticism in the Novels of Aldous Huxley in 1976 from Punjab University, Chandigarh.

The poet asks to salvage the soul from the salty sea of nothingness as the sharks of doubt keep sinking into the depths of nothingness which but the fishes of faith take it for an intrusion into their translucent dome.

Gulls of faith have flown away leaving the watery plain empty and desolate. Images of tribal gods keep floating for virgin lands to settle and inhabit.

But Crusoe’s spirit goes following and pursuing unto the last and our quest is as such. Those who are hard-working and inquisitive can only search. How to bail it out faith from the crisis? How to infuse and instill a new spirit? How to extend the hope for living? It is the voyagers’ duty to search, the mariners’ job to search for newer pastures and to make the barren lands even alluvial.

The poet suggests living by faith and to hold an optimistic standpoint as did those upon reaching America, as did Robinson Crusoe. It is better to take a bold affirmative step rather than one of bleak hope and desolation. A pessimistic approach will never be fruitful, take it for granted. Hardy’s thrush he does not want it, but the skylark of Shelley. Gulliver’s Travels too can be counted upon while dealing with this topic in hand.

Salvage your soul
from the salty sea of existence;
a prey to sharks of doubt,
sinking into depths
of metaphysical nothingness;
making the fishes of faith
angry at its intrusion into
their translucent dome.
 
Gulls of faith have flown away
leaving the watery plain
empty and desolate.
Images of tribal gods
float like the fragments
of a shattered Mayflower
destined for virgin lands.
Engulfed and lost
in stony silence of infinite spaces,
Crusoe-like, ever-inventive spirit
discovers itself in
the rejuvenation of waste lands.