BOOK REVIEW - MELODY OF A MUDDLED MIND BY KASHISH MAHTANI

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There are always stages that love goes through – the first flush of romanticism, followed by the meeting of the two hearts in a blissful world. For many lovers, this becomes the bedrock of their lives. However, poet Kashish Mahtani, does not stop there, in her wonderful book of poems titled ‘Melody of a Muddled Mind’.

The first section, ‘WHIMSICAL WHISPERS’, meanders across a sea of emotions, dealing with the avatars of women, as daughters, devotees and lovers. Women may be selfless angels on earth, fighting the battles of others.  However, they can turn into trouble, if mistreated.

A powerful poem in this context is titled ‘Goddess of the Skies, Songstress of the Seas’. It delves into the strength of a woman who may get hurt but will still stay by her lover’s side. A line which is very poignant goes thus – “She’s the same ‘goddess’/ You pray to in temples/ And prey on in the streets.”

The remaining poems in this section deal mainly with the simple joys of life, such as pure love, sonnets and birdsong, limericks, songs from a lover’s heart and the perfect paradox of love in all its vagaries. Kashish Mahtani puts this beautifully as “glimpses of heaven in a lover’s eyes”.

Another poem that strikes a chord is titled ‘Be the Hero You are’ and asks the reader to “look up from the world of Half-Truths and Lies” and discover the Universe, instead of hiding behind the virtual world of the Internet. A line that deeply touched me was to “share experiences but not online; Like people, not posts”.

Section 2 is titled SEGUE INTO CHAOS, and the mood shifts over to fragments of thought, interspersed between love, longing and nightmarish loss. The protagonists in this section are riddled with doubt and the fear of losing the love of their lives. They ponder over ways to make their loved one stay, pleading for second chances as they hang on to their dreams. Losing their love makes them feel as though they are drowning, and, in some cases, they walk away even though they are heartbroken.

DEATH KNELL moves on to the next level, which speaks of the cessation of love, and the feeling of loss that follows. ‘Cesspool of Emotions’ is a brilliant little poem of four lines on the same theme. Life loses its colour, and the protagonist misses the presence of the loved one. ‘When I’m Gone’ is another gem which talks of “love’s swansong”, and “every last hug, each tear”.

Loss of a love, learning to live without it and staying strong, form the crux of ‘Stages of Grief’, which is what the last section of the book moves into, namely, ‘THE PHOENIX SONG’. Finding Redemption’, ‘Weep and ‘Letting Go’, ‘Closure’ – the titles of the poems here are self-explanatory. It is time to work on oneself and move on.

Sing the Phoenix Song and be free!

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Book Link:

https://www.theblogchatter.com/index.php/download/melody-of-a-muddled-mind-by-kashish-mahtani

 

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Comments

  1. Chinmayee Gayatree Sahu5/30/2021 01:25:00 PM

    I am looking forward to reading the book . Poetry books are always a delight to read. Wonderful review!

    ReplyDelete
  2. deepti menon5/30/2021 04:02:00 PM

    I love poetry myself, Chinmayee. Do read this book because it is a wonderful read. Thank you for your comment.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous5/30/2021 04:05:00 PM

    I'm super thrilled that you picked my book to review! This is beautiful, thank you so much <3

    ReplyDelete
  4. Kashmakash5/30/2021 04:08:00 PM

    I'm super thrilled that you picked my book to review! This is beautiful, thank you so much <3

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. deepti menon5/30/2021 08:23:00 PM

      I am so glad that you liked my review, Kashish. I enjoyed reading and reviewing it. Kudos!

      Delete

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