The book is sheer poetry. Not just because it has poems in it. But, the cover, the title, and the first few lines itself have the power to weave a magical web around you.
Selma Martin says,” I dedicate ‘In the Shadow of Rainbows’ to you, the person holding this book, the person whose presence I felt as I persevered to complete this debut poetry collection. To you, with gratitude and admiration.’

The above words set the tone of the book and the reader is left wanting to know what lies in store.

The next section titled, Selma’ s Notes, tells the reader the backstory – of how the title of the book came to be. It provides a peek into the poet’s sensitive, gentle and loving nature.

In the section, ‘ What I want my poems to do’, Selma Martin says, “I’m confident that one poem in this book will take your hand, reunite you with your echo and take you home.’

The line– ‘come with me, I’ll help you find your poem…’ instantly cast a spell on me and I began reading the book in a bid to find my poem- a poem that Selma Martin was confident I would find. I read around two poems a day, sometimes less, sometimes more, letting the poems marinate in my head. In doing so, I had an opportunity to delve deeper into Selma Martin’s poetry, allowing it to work its magic on me.

If I had to describe Selma’s poems in a nutshell- they are exquisite, thought-provoking and replete with imagery and wisdom. The word choice and the metaphors are unique and are a joy to read.

About the book

There are 60 odd poems in this book describing events from the poet’s life such as the time the poet was confined to the hospital and was unable to walk and when her child was lost.
Nature plays an important role in the poet’s writing as if it’s her teacher, friend and guide. She sees glory in the mundane.
In the poem, Let Go, she says, ‘Light illuminates/all who wander/in darkness and delusion,/ transports them to/a blissful dawn;/ Let go/ and revel in /the llumious/afterglow/albeit the godforsaken/bump along the road.

In ‘Nature’s Tender Doing’ which is written in couplets, there is a playfulness that I thoroughly enjoyed because of my own love for nature. ‘The green outside is winking at me;/ it arose merely moments ago/ like a well-rested child rising from sleep,/ its radiance is dewy with stardust.’
I liked the simplicity of August Trio– ‘August/ you brought hope in – a glamour of your own/summer fairies are departing/ shift change,’ and the urgency behind Enough, ‘Enough! Enough griping over/ what it’ll take for us to “make it.”/ All this not taking to strangers, this building of fences, this not trusting the very air that blows./ What’s the use of “making it” if I must go the distance alone?’ After being held captive due to Covid (a language we all understand),these lines are easy to relate to.

‘Night’ is personified as a watchman looking over us, in the poem, ‘There is no crime’ and summer is vividly described in ‘Could it be?’ -‘Just when I thought/the warm days would never cease/days of sitting, tracing clouds-/ Clouds that had somewhere else to be./ Days of cat naps and dreamy languor of prancing bare-legged,/running into sprinklers,/ of looking for the shade/as the day/oozed by,/hour after hour;’ With rising temperatures, these were words that made my heart smile because Selma Martin described it perfectly.

The poems, ‘Compass’ and ‘Intentions’ had me thinking, ‘If only all fathers told their children this, we wouldn’t have crimes, wars and nobody would be hurt.’

‘Golden Durability’ reminded me a poem, ‘Two Yellow Bracelets’, I had written years ago. The sentiments in Selma’s poem resonate with mine. She says, ‘Patched up here and there with gold alloy to/ preserve malleability, Mom’s bracelet keeps the markers.‘
Here’s another evocative stanza from the same poem, ‘ I inhale the gold band and slide my hand/ in to sense what Mom suffered. I pretend it’s her wrist I kiss.’

Poems, like ‘When Death Comes’ and ‘Instinct’ are precious for their sweet simplicity while poems like, ‘Intention’ and ‘Something is broken’ are deep and ‘No Sugar’ and ‘Krakow Nights’ are fun and talk of happy times. Among the poems inspired by books or poems written by other poets, I liked the one written on ‘The Book Thief’ , ‘Song for Kenji’ and the response to the poem ‘Wind’ by Ted Hughes.

‘In the Shadow of Rainbows’ is a book that must be read in tranquillity. Not in a hurry. Then, it must be re-read to appreciate the intricate detail with which it’s been put together. I recommend this book for poetry lovers. Selma Martin paints pictures with words.

Book blurb

In this dazzling debut poetry collection of over 60 carefully selected poems, author Selma Martin points the way to the beauty in the everyday, the shadow of the rainbow, and the silver lining at the edge of every cloud. Favouring lyrical forms, and revelling in rhymes and musical language, the individual poems in this collection harmonise together in symphonic splendour to form an enlightening and delightful whole.

Both paperback and Kindle versions of the book are available on Amazon. Click here to buy the book.

To follow Selma Martin’s blog, click here.

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My debut novel, ‘Coming Home,’ is available on Amazon. For the Kindle and paperback edition of the book, please click here. Coming Home’ is free for Kindle unlimited subscribers.

You can get your copy of the paperback edition in India by clicking here.

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