Deep Ties

The month of April loomed before me, a whole month of writing for the Blogchatter A2Z Challenge where a whole group of writers would be racking their brains to come out with apt themes – 26 posts in 31 days. It seemed a tall order. The Blogchatter Team was on their toes trying to motivate all their writers, suggesting topics, explaining rules and juggling ideas, and in general, trying to keep up the enthusiasm through videos and blog posts. How could I make my posts different? Three days before the challenge began, a light bulb went off in my mind. Why not do something I dearly loved? Go back to my days of Literature? At once, a line of images sparked off in my mind – all those beautiful words that had been around for centuries, words that could not be said better. That is how my title took shape – Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s quote was the inspiration. “Poetry: The Best Words In the Best Order” The poems spilled over as I tried to choose the ones which I loved, and the ones which had ins...

The lockdown has brought with it innumerable challenges, not the least being the need for parents to keep their young ones occupied and happy. At such a time, a book like this is like a ray of sunshine with its delightful suggestions on how to keep children from getting bored. It offers suggestions for children between the age group of five and twelve, over a period of 21 days. The language is simple and engaging and the author, Saba Irfan Ladha, had spiced up the days of the week by giving them various apt soubriquets, like Maniacal Monday, Wittiness Day, Super Sassy Day and the like. The very first activity is one which is easy, sustainable and exciting – raising a plant. The author gives a short introduction on why this activity is a useful one, and goes on to the method, the materials required and the steps to be followed, in crisp, understandable language. The picture that goes along with the activity is also a carefully thought-out one. What makes this even more enjoyable is ...

  The cover image is remarkable, and the poems evocative, as they traverse across realms as varied as Nature, Fire and finally Life. The first poem strikes a chord as it evokes Devi, the goddess and exhorts the world to give  the living Devi in flesh and blood “the status she so rightly deserves”. Likewise, the next poem is an ode to Shiva, the Maha among all the Devas. From there on, the words in the following poems work like a rhapsody and Chinmayee Gayatree Sahu plays with them with abandon. Right from the appeal of dusk “creating melodies that rhyme/with the windchimes in my heart” , the summer heat that teaches the lesson that this too shall pass, to the effervescence of the twinkling stars that guide one on to meaningful paths, and winter the season of hope, “festivities and merry making” “bidding sorrow a  bye ”  the images entice the reader. Nature is at her most beautiful as the poet waxes eloquent about the striking maple leaf, the fields of gold, the d...

  Is it possible to use one’s mind to solve problems with ease and control one’s lives? Geethica Mehra writes an interesting book in which she speaks of her own experiences in winning her subconscious mind to lead a successful life. The mind controls the body, but thoughts control the brain. Geethica starts her book with some sure-shot remedies to control one’s thoughts in such a way that only the positive ones remain in one’s mind. The brain can be motivated to think positive thoughts which could be personal or purely creative. A person can detach himself from several bad habits through training his brain. Will power is all powerful. It makes one strong. The brain takes commands, and when the person controlling it is focused, the commands also stay positive. Obstacles come in the way often, but if the will power is strong, these also melt away. Geethica suggests a few methods by which a person begins to believe in the strength of his own mind, without getting influenced by ext...

  The dedication says it all! To the frontline warriors of the pandemic and the Bravehearts providing us with essential services! Writer Huma Masood puts it poignantly: “Although we face the same storm, some boats are rocked by larger waves. Some struggle, some inspiration.” This book puts forth a few illuminating thoughts which help to light a candle in these trying times. Four sections make up this volume consisting of poems that were mostly written during the #BlogchatterA2ZChallenge. What strikes the eye are the bright vibrant colours demarcating the sections and the striking illustrations within. The first section titled ‘She’ deals with the freedom of a woman within the confines of her cage. When the mountains invite her, she is set to traverse the endless skies and the high domains. When she emerges, she looks ahead in anticipation towards “a universe where equity is favoured”. Huma Masood’s poems are short, but hope-filled and resilient. Each poem ends on a parti...

This is the story of Meera – “ a complex, extra-ordinary girl with simple dreams.” And Keshav – “an attractive, fair, clean-cut young man with a mesmerizing persona.” The duo meet at a common friend’s party and exchange numbers. They find in each other exactly what they have been lacking in their own lives. This book, as the author remarks, is dedicated to Meera and her affection for Keshav.   Meera’s journey is a poetic one, and as she puts down her thoughts in verse, the curtain rises on the drama. “A mirror of me that was lost in the past, in his eyes I found myself at last.” Mayura Amarkant is as much a magician in prose as she is in poetry. The feelings of the young girl, her thoughts about her new love, the reasons why she feels so close to the young man who has stolen her heart, all these are portrayed in verse form. However, the path of love is not always free of thorns. When Keshav pays more attention to another girl, Meera, filled with jealousy, decides to turn...

  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 ...