I am just ME … a soul streaming across constellations, over eons of turbulent changes and tranquil noises, perturbed by the visions that engulf me and ruffled by the oft complacence that challenges the change. Yet, I must travel further across the galaxies, in search of the ultimate metamorphosis. Until then, I sojourn in this life, engrossed in my earthly callings of a wife, mother, professional, writer, dreamer, and seeker.
On this blog you will find a spectrum of fiction, poetry, reviews, thoughts, snippets, inspiration, experiences, voices, concerns, excerpts, and everything that the soul has gathered in her fold, over years of reading, searching, finding, losing, and discovering. I regularly indulge in various creative pursuits, like crochet, experimental cooking, reading, and writing, and I hold a managerial/editorial role in a financial services organization with a global footprint.
For a long time, social media hijacked my personal writing space, as I was sharing more on Facebook and writing Tweet-sized poetry on Twitter. Social media is instant but temporary gratification. Ultimately, a writer needs their own space, and personal blogging provides that space. I had started a blog more than a decade ago but all things need to be infused with new life, emerge in a new avatar, and so it is with my new blog space.
Let your love and encouragement pour into Blue Pen Strokes.
Check out Aneesha Shewani (@felinemusings)
The dried twig that lay still At my doorstep is not dead yet It has sprouted green wings; The cracks in the sidewalk May hide magical abodes For I spied tendrils of a beanstalk.
Burdened by daily chores It takes a moment to see Hope arrives in the strangest ways In a message bottle, Washed ashore Or in a heart, Just weary of being sore.
Poetry inspired by the book cover designed by Thomas Watson Ball for Gilian, the Dreamer, His Fancy, His Love and Adventure by Neil Munro. New York: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1899.
Today is Day 1 of the National (also Global) Poem Writing Month of 2023. This implies challenging oneself to write poems and verses daily for 30 days. So, as I kick off day 1 on my blog, here is the official NaPoWriMo site link and also the prompt inspiration they provide. I am hoping to cover all of these book cover designs during this challenge.
And here’s our own prompt (optional, as always) for the first day of Na/GloPoWriMo. They say you can’t judge a book by its cover, but they never said you can’t try to write a poem based on a book cover — and that’s your challenge for today! Take a look through Public Domain Review’s article on “The Art of Book Covers.”
A fascinating read for those A research-based discourse on why youngsters prefer to be single and the impact it has on our social and economic fabric.
The Age of Single is a fascinating social commentary backed by historical and literary facts. The text is supported by graphs and tables and embellished with relevant images. Author Eitan Lee has encapsulated a vast array of research. Single, as a term, in this book refers to individuals unattached by the legalities of matrimony. A single person may be in a relationship or cohabiting but not married.
The contemporary phenomenon of singledom is not as modern as we may think; Lee traces its origins to the “free love” movement of the 1960s. In the background of the Vietnam war and the rise of capitalism, the Hippie movement was breaking all forms of social impositions. The current times are no less different with a multitude of issues defining our social, economic, and ethical priorities.
The Age of Single aims to understand why youngsters are choosing to be single and what it implies on a psychological and economic level. Is “being single” the epitome of happiness, with its promise of independence and free will? Or, “singlism” and emotional complexities make “singledom” not a fairy tale that we assume it to be? The intricate nuances of the relationship status – Single – are brought out in detail in this book through quotes from social media, books, and research papers.
Lee talks about the role of feminist writers like Virginia Woolfe, Helen Gurley Brown, Judith Butler, and classic novels in stoking the independence streak in women and the definition of gender in our times. This book draws up nuggets of social revolution history to trace how we reached where we are today. It talks about the new gender identities and “new gender politics” in the “relationship terrain.”
And, does this trend of unattached relationships have any long-term consequences? Well, yes, it does as Lee continues to inform. From lowered birth rates and child-rearing to declining physical intimacy, “the age of single” is creating several consequences for the coming generation. “Waiting is the new secret norm.” Time slips away as we wait and the wait may be momentarily fulfilling but not necessarily brimming with happiness.
Lee’s book is a must-read for a range of audiences. From teachers and preachers to the young and their parents. Unless we understand the currents that are shaping the life of our youngsters, we can not have relevant conversations about “undoing gender” and “gender-fluidity”, along with the future of marriage as an institution. “In this new reality, we are facing a new range of relationship problems hardly known to previous generations.” I loved the book for its crisp narrative and meticulous writing. It is a breezy yet meaningful reference book.
The Sun inspires and speaks of brightness and ambition but I am always drawn to the Moon because of its transient quality and the ability to shine through the darkness. I see in it a reflection of human life – the indomitable spirit to attain glory even when destined to cyclic highs and lows. The Moon is me; it is each one of us. Here is an ode to resilience.
Moon rising from behind the clouds. Image generated using dream.ai.
In the swirling, shifting caramel of dawn Goodbyes of the Full Moon awaken me With gentle caresses; in silver disguise Strings of glimmer blaze past the drapes In to a space where sleep plays truant Yet, again.
Moonstruck, I gaze at the sparkly face Shimmering in the celestial expanse My friend of many slumberless nights I wonder how you waltz through it all – The waxing and waning, here today Unseen tomorrow!
Do you tremble when pieces dissolve Or when the dark side overtakes you How do you tiptoe through desolate fear? Sailing on stormy clouds; only to evolve From Night’s blue veil, in splendor whole Perfection galore!
Amazed, I ponder over your dire destiny Patiently cradling oblivion and agony You’ve known fawning painters, poets; How do you concede to Time’s sly games Embracing both radiance and gray shades Always with eternal grace!
I sat there on the iron bench Amidst the large concrete pots Overflowing with seasonal flowers The evening sun shone On my tired face; for a moment I looked up from my phone Pausing the search for a cab And the frantic need to be home
All around me, I could see Hunched shoulders, quick footfall Towards the exit gate. And what for? To run away from the fatigue Of a hectic day at work Or to rush into another con call With an unending to-do list
I sat there rooted in silence Aware of the breathing Of the weary and their worry I wondered where all this leads; Why we never stopped to see The radiant blooms of Spring – Wilting sooner than ever In the heat of our distress
Blue Pen Strokes 