On Pouring My Heart Out

  1. Most times I shroud my poems in mystery or hide behind the metaphor, and leave the “about” of the poem for the reader to interpret as they wish. Not this time, though. I’ve put all my cards on the table. A rather bold move, I’ll admit.
  2. Intense.
  3. Writing this book has felt like putting my heart on the platter to be severed.
  4. Whoever said “do what scares you” was absolutely bonkers! For, now, I have stepped on people’s toes…
  5. Frankly, I’m tired of fighting silent battles.
  6. People often ask if I plan to write a memoir some day. The answer is this: I doubt that I’ll ever write a straightforward and book-length prose memoir. Poetry is an art form that allows me to go where it hurts.
  7. ‘The Sheltering’ is close as it gets in capturing my inner and outer world, right now.
  8. This book is not a happy pill. I suck at writing inspirational poetry, so I don’t even try. But then again, poetry is not about making people feel better but to name the nameless.
  9. Grief.
  10. Grief changes face every day. One day, an ode celebrating the miracle that is life. The next, an elegy lamenting the loss.
  11. We all are grieving something… or tell me now, if you are not! There’s a dare.
  12. But careful, my heart is still in your hands.
  13. THANK YOU to each and everyone of you, who read this blog and support my humble writings, for not letting me write I alone. ♥

PS. Photo by Fallon Michael on Unsplash

New Book Announcement!

Hey Good People!

A quick announcement…if you haven’t seen this yet around the net, my latest and full-length poetry collection, THE SHELTERING, is out now!

In fact, the release was on Monday. But the ‘distribution gods’ are on Thanksgiving holiday. 🙂 This means the eBook is currently available only from Amazon Kindle. But I’m working hard to have it available from more e-Retailers, soon.

The paperback, too, is coming soon. If you’re already a follower of this blog and you’d like a sample of the print version, feel free to send me an email.

Please checkout the blurbs to find out if you know someone who might benefit from this book. If so, please pass the word along. Thank you!

On Choosing Compassion [Revisited]

Many of us think that an argument or a period of silence equals the end, when actually – if dealt with effectively – it can strengthen the friendship. A key part is the ability to apologise. Being able to say ‘I’m sorry is extremely powerful.” – Clare Cohen

According, to Cohen, the pandemic has taken a toll on friendships. And she asks how do we fix our friendships? I don’t have a simple answer. But I agree that when arguments are handled effectively, they can strengthen a friendship.

There are many questionable things people (sensible people) do on social media. Some have left me dumbfounded, others have vexed me so much that I wrote about in great detail. For example, in the poem Coffee Talk, I alluded to one of those confusing behaviours.

My recently published essay, Learning To Be Rigorous With Compassion, at LIT eZine puts the above-mentioned confusing behaviour into context. But it also highlights the importance of communicating: addressing the problem and learning from our mistakes.

How have you or are healing strained friendships? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

ps. Feature image by Piotr Cichosz at Unsplash.