I haven’t been active on wordpress lately. My brain has been clogged with far too many things. So what does a blogger do when s/he faces writer’s block if such a thing exists? The writer reads and then writes about what they have read. I picked up this book on kindle sometime ago but managed to read it only now because I’m not much of a kindle reader. I like holding books in my hand and feeling the pages. I know I must change this in the interest of the planet. And what better way to begin with this book which talks about the love for people and the love for nature and love for oneself in the same breath, especially since the author/ poet herself had told me when I decided to write review 3 months ago, ‘ the author has finally arrived.’ It’s a sentence I derive great strength from. That’s what Balroop Singh’s poems are all about – they are real and they encourage – they appreciate and they give strength.
‘Moments we love,’ is a book written by Balroop Singh. I had read the blurb of another book by the same poet, two years’ ago which became my inspiration to write a book. So, in a way, I must thank Balroop Singh for sowing the seed in me to publish my book of poetry.
Like the name suggests, ‘Moments we love,’ is a book that captures moments in life where the beautiful feeling of love exists. The book is divided into three sections – Moments of love, Moments of Harmony and Moments that make Life. Before each section is a beautiful personal quote – not more than three lines that sets the tone of the section. The poems follow the free-verse style and are not punctuated making the reading easy. There is a tenderness in each poem which reflects the poet’s nature. Even when she is angry about love being bitter, the feelings change but the tone is still gentle and sounds more like a learning. There is an absence of hatred but the presence of an inner strength. The cover of the book sets the tone of the book
If love was a three-dimension object, the poet has covered every side, every angle and every surface – the feeling of first love, the yearning, the doubts that one has when one is in love, the rift (there is a poem by the same name), the memories are some of the themes under the first section – Moments we love.
Love entered from the back door
Sat by her side and smiled
She couldn’t recognize the stranger
So she asked: “Who are you?”
“You knew me at birth
You stretched your arms
For me, you cried
When I didn’t embrace you
From the poem, ‘Who are you?” I enjoyed each verse which showed that love is not something that we learn the moment we grow up but something that’s within us from the moment we breathe. I loved every line and I had a hard time exercising restraint – so I do not post it here.
There is a softness in the poem, ‘Magic of love,’ th
The feather we found on the ledge
Is as precious as you
Its color matches your blue eyes
Anyone who has ever been in love will be able to relate to the poem ‘Love lingers’ and ‘First love.’ The feelings expressed in both the poems are beautifully accurate.
The poet writes with complete honesty- showing us that like everything, love has a dark side too. In the poem ‘Conniver!’ it is the ugly side that is described and feels eerie and stifling :
Can I ever forget?
Or dismiss the moment?
When you turned against me
When love lost its sheen
Your fiery face haunts me
The promises seem empty
I yearn to discern
The spells you could churn
The short, simple structure of the sentences hit home. And while I’d like to write verses from more poems, I will restrain myself.
Section 2 – Moments of harmony has poems on nature showing her love and appreciation of it. The poems are resplendent with imagery. The poem ‘Redwoods,’ appealed to me as I too have written a poem on these magnificent trees based on a picture my sister sent me.The poem ends with the line, ‘You can never have enough of this delight.’ I agree.
In the poem ‘Magical Fall,’ the poet gives credit to Nature – ‘Nature nurtures my muse.’ The muse is personified in the poem.
She treads on emerald rocks
To admire crimson leaves
She swings on bare branches
Her words swirl around with ease
I could imagine the muse traipsing and swinging in a forest full of fallen crimson leaves.
‘Rooted by love,’ is another poem where love is compared to nature, thereby explaining what it means to be strongly in love –
Love is not just growing together
It is weathering storms
Smiling through gales
Reaching out to each other
Making memories
The poem ‘Spring Melodies,’ sounds like a healing prayer.
There is pain in the poem, ‘Mother Earth,’ which pricks the heart and reminds you of her pain.
Frozen in time
With amorphia of ages
I sat waiting for love
It did come at last!
They came in hordes
With shovels and hoes
To dig around me
And create a cover
In Section 3 – Moments of Life, the poems are about wishes and dreams – some lost, some lived and some regained.
The will to get up after falling in ‘Fortitude,’ is sure to help anyone who is going through the same pain derive courage –
Even if I crawl on four
Even if it hurts encore
I must try once more
And refuse to live a life I abhor
‘New Beginnings,’ creates a social awareness of those deprived of comforts
Hope could have propelled them
But a fire within was stronger
Stark realities around them
Death stared in empty eyes
In the poem, ‘Don’t Dwell On it! Really?’ the poet fights back against the line, ‘Don’t dwell on it!’ It tells the reader not to be so accepting and complacent- some things demand fighting back.
If people had not dwelled
On atrocities heaped upon them
If they had not risen against
Discrimination and prejudices
There are several more poems, verses, lines that I like but writing them here would not be fair to the poet. This is just a teaser and I hope it makes you want to buy the book. There is a equal mix of romanticism and rebelliousness in the poems. The poems are a light read and can be read by non-poets as well. The book is available on kindle and can be bought using the below link. In India it costs Rs. 208.00. Its free if you have Kindle Unlimited Membership.
Book Blurb
Moments of fragrant love that stand frozen in time, of dreams that dare not unfold, of passion that fleets by, of erratic joy that we meet at the crossroads of life; butterflies of time that add color to our dark moments to scare the demons away – I have gathered all of them in this book. Some of them whisper softly to create a magical aura while spring of life sings with them, trying to wipe silent tears. Mother Nature steps in with all her grandeur to breath quiet messages of tranquility.
Each poem would soothe your emotions with élan and add a dash of color to your life. Life – that doesn’t halt for your sad moments; it just floats by. You just need to dive in to soak in myriads of moments to discover how they could ignite positive tones. All the poems in this collection are imaginary but inspired from people around me, some of whom chose to share their frustrations and tremors with me. My imaginative muse transformed them into poetry.
Memories and moments merge here
Today when I return to share
The glow of rainbows,
Embers of emotional entreaties
And smoldering debris.
To know more about the poet/author, you can click on the link Balroop Singh . Don’t forget to check out other books on poetry and inspiration written by the author.
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