Impetus

Two strangers. Both are wonderful poets. They met in some corner of the world and collaborated to work on a book of poems. Their dream matured and we got Impetus. A collection of 50 poems set on various moods and themes. Divya and Rajani took turns to share their thoughts with the world. As I turned the leaves and took a sniff, the words came alive and off I went on a journey, memorable. 

Each poem starts with a brief introduction on the topic thus making way for the verses. The poems are inspiring, poignant and some will tug at your heartstrings. If ‘Doorbell’ spoke of heartbreaks and endurance, ‘Golden Moment,’ filled me with a sense of serenity. With finely chosen words, the poets described the essence of ‘Tranquility,’ in a very impressive manner. Through these poems, one will understand their journey and how Impetus fructified. They poured their hearts out and shared stories that many will connect to, once they read. 

People walk into our lives and leave their ‘Footprints.’ And sometimes, we leave ours on the sands that get ‘devoured by the sea.’  The thoughts and emotions of these two meaningful poems from this section that spoke of life’s stories reached out to me. ‘Footprints, they are witness that One has followed one’s calling.’ Such a beautiful thought, isn’t it? ‘Character’ speak of the many roles we play in life. The questions raised in the poem will make the readers ponder. ‘Down Memory Lane’ has poems about the memories we cherish, especially of our dear ones and of the bygone days. ‘Finding joy in the smallest thing.’- from ‘Maze of Memories’ is a reminder of what we often miss. The next poem about the poet’s grandmother was poignant and the lines, ‘Her strife, she didn’t let that become an obstacle,’ – shows the trait of a strong woman, thus sending a good message.

Everyone has the ‘Burning Desire’ to attain something. The next two poems elaborate on this thought. Divya chose her words well to create this wonderful poem. ‘Cruising along the rigmarole of life’s mundane chores, compelled to eke out with whatever befell.’- These opening lines from the poem ‘Incessant’ were blunt, and the words flowed effortlessly. ‘Mushroom’ is a very interesting, and inspiring take; detailed and will linger in the readers’ minds. In ‘Magic Potion’  Rajani Nair shared her love for tea which the tea-lovers will surely savour. The language and style were kept simple throughout. I liked the idea that the poets looped in almost every emotion, situation, and element related to life. ‘Tied to a price, In the marketplace of slavery,’– through these lines, Divya expressed the grim situation of the victims of adversities. ‘Excursion’ by Rajani Nair is one of my favourites from this book. One needs to delve deep to appreciate the thoughts and gist of this poem.

The line of thoughts of both poets synchronized to form beautiful verses. And thus, it was easy to connect as a reader. What they shared was deep and meaningful, like these lines- ‘Life is a journey and has many journeys within.’  The poems ‘Complete Strangers’ and ‘My Daughter and I’ speak of human relationships. How at times, our very own become unknown over time. Through ‘Innocence Personified’ and ‘A Misfit,’ the poets shared about the qualms that often cloud our minds and how we gear up to carry on. Indeed an inspiring poem that will reach out to the readers. ‘The Next Page’ – the poems in this section speak about the unseen and unknown chapters of life. ‘Toils and turmoil make up a lot of stories’- indeed. Quite an appealing and engaging read they were. ‘Haven’ and ‘The Epitome’  speaks of strength and assurance. The poets have drawn fine examples between a banyan tree and a mother as both protect and keep us safe under their refuge. 

‘The mind’s eye is never resting, hoping for things that will make the soul happy’- indeed! ‘Illusions are our way of surviving.’ – The book is full of such raw and honest thoughts, and that is what makes the verses special. Poems like ‘Passion’ and ‘Cherished Endeavour’ are written on positive notes. Both are inspiring and carry a nice message. Read the book to discover and connect to the sentiment of the poets that are no different from ours. Through the poems under the topic ‘Hemming’, the poets spoke about human relationships and a woman’s role to keep them intact and working. ‘It works both ways, this hemming of things’ –  So true that it needs two people to work things out. Such thought-provoking verses will surely make the readers ponder. Another of my favourite is ‘Unflinched Servings.’ A wanderer will totally connect with the sentiments and events shared in this poem.  

Like the rest of the topics, ‘Cage’ too,  is a noteworthy poem. It speaks of the boundaries set by others and us. At times, we get lost in the maze of the limitations of our own thoughts, and at times, the people around us, the society hinder us to break free. This aspect is expressed thoughtfully through the poems of this segment. The next one, ‘Anklets’ speaks about a harsh truth with subtle sarcasm. ‘Should be light-footed, a girl, it is said – No clank of the footsteps, only hush- Anklets, a contradiction to this tacit decree’- a strange irony indeed. ‘Balloons’ had profound and thought-provoking verses. Readers will recollect several lines, each time they see a balloon. 

‘A garden is a sanctuary for everyone, whether in their prime or afterlife.’– the next set of poems started with this beautiful thought. The flowers and insects, the little joys they bring, cenotaphs where souls lie in peace… the poets painted a picturesque scene and shared a lovely thought through these poems.  ‘A Special Gift’ speaks about the importance of a gift; be it one’s inner spirit or a thing external and how it keeps us going; cheers us in many ways. The last part, ‘Road to Success’  closed with two amazing poems. One was dedicated to a friend the poet lost, and the other was about the different interpretations of success and the poet’s headstrong thoughts that were inspiring and sent a wonderful message for us to contemplate our thoughts and actions. 

Sharing a few lines that stood out for me:

“If the doorbell has come at a time when you have been questioning yourself, you will most surely find answers as the ring is just in sync with the time.”

“No matter who comes to drown it to the depths, It endures its progression, doesn’t ever dissolve.” 

“All the world’s a marketplace, everyone wants to gain”

“That one needs to try hard even when one fails.”

“Hold on to hope, on to your sphere… You are meant to travel and traverse…”

“Imprisoned in the open is how humanity lives.” 

The poems were poignant and profound. Both poets portrayed their skill and creatively shared thought-provoking verses. I liked how they shared a few words for every segment to introduce the topic of each poem. Features like: descriptive language, organizing the poems, presenting the thoughts, cover design and forewords were handled well. Yet, I think a bit of fine handiwork could’ve helped the book to gain technical and poetic excellence. It would’ve added value to the precious thoughts shared by the poets, Divya and Rajani.  

If you are a poetry lover and enjoy reading inspiring, thought-provoking poems and learn a few new words, then this book is a must-read. Do grab a copy, read, soak yourself in the beauty of words, and don’t forget to leave a review to cheer the amazing poets who made an immense effort to gift us this book of poems. 

Wishing Divya Venkateswaran and Rajani Nair all the very best in their future endeavours. 

~*~

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