Screaming into the void
Like lunatics caged, gagged
Muzzled emotions, numbed
Trolled for spoken words
Sounds buried in the head
Sane voices, now long dead
Victim to resounding fear!
How to silence the howls
Raging, trapped in the mind
Injustice bellows, how to find
Respite, refuge from wounds
Growing like sepsis, unheeded
Gasping for breathe, unheard
Mauled into total surrender.
It all starts with a vision – be it a venture, a painted artwork, a sheaf of writing – and many a times across time and space they converge. A delayed monsoon made me crave the soul nourishment of the rains and I rummaged through some of my micro-verses looking for succour. I came across two previously written poems to feature on my blog.
Yesterday, like everyday, I was browsing through The Special Mom – Samavesh, a wonderful group created by dear friend, Kreeti. A post by Joyashree, caught my eye. It was a painting by her 12-year old son, Shreyan, His art was complementing the verses I had dug out from my archives.
I reached out to Joyashree and shared how beautiful the artwork was and the words I had written. As we chatted, I got to see another brilliant piece on the theme of boats and stormy skies by Shreyan. It was touching.
In absolute awe and delight at the acrylic painting on paper, I am sharing two of Shreyan’s pieces here with his mother’s permission. Joyashree says, a fun-loving adolescent, Shreyan loves to paint water bodies and shapes.
The little boy
Floats a paper boat
In a puddle on the road
To him it is the ocean
He on a voyage aboard
Musings by ANEESHA SHEWANI
Rain-filled clouds
Like cotton glaze
On a summer sky
The sun playing
Hide and seek
A silver lining here
A rainbow bridge there
MuSINGS BY ANEESHA SHEWANI
Acrylic on Paper by Shreyan Chakraborty (12 years old)
What is most inspiring about this artwork is that Shreyan is a special child, having been diagnosed with autism at the age of 2 years. Painting is his refuge and voice. He is expressing his vision of beauty and adoration for nature. We catch a glimpse of his beautiful mind and soul through his artwork.
Shreyan is one of the many whose creativity has found a platform on Samavesh (Inclusion). Kreeti has put her full force and compassion behind this amazing group of pure souls, who bring so much joy through their pursuit of creativity. I have seen intricately designed jewelry, clay work, and renditions of music and dance on this platform.
The profile of Samavesh says, “Let’s change the narrative, celebrate and showcase their talents and brilliance, and not their challenges.” Challenges, however, are a part of life and here is a shout out to all the lovely parents who are helping their children overcome everyday hurdles – one hug, one encouraging word at a time. Thank you, Joyashree, for bringing brushes and paints to Shreyan to brighten our world.
To learn more about collaborating with Samavesh and endorsing the work of these children, you can write to: contact@thespecialmom.org
Book: Inauspicious
Author: Renée L. K. Eastabrooks
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Review Copy: Reedsy
Available at: Amazon.com
Some aspects of our society and cultural mores are so horrifying that we strive to keep them under wraps. It takes someone with courage, compassion, and empathy to bring forth depraved secrets so that the evil can be ripped apart at the roots. Renée L. K. Eastabrooks pens down the true story of a young widow in Rajasthan, who miraculously escapes the burning pyre of Sati, and goes on to search for a new life across continents. Easterbrook’s novel – Inauspicious – contains insights from her month-long trip to northern India where she worked with widows and street children.
Sati, the practice of burning alive a widow on the pyre of her dead husband, is illegal in India. However, in the hinterlands, the widow is a financial and social burden, and an entire custom is perpetuated to get rid of her while crowning her with divinity. In this horrifying landscape, a young widow, Triti, escapes a lit pyre and through sisterhood and kindness, and the power of her dreams and forte attempts to rewrite her destiny. The novel is gripping from the start and has the reader rooting for the protagonist.
The writer is invested in the local landscape and heritage. The book contains verses, local lullabies, songs, and a few colloquial dialogues. Amidst the sorrow and the depravity, the descriptions of colors, bazaars, spices, jewelry, bring out the visual vibrancy for which Rajasthan is well-known. Eastabrook’s writing is evocative and the observant narrative fills the pages of an otherwise troubling story.
Initially, it seems Triti’s recovery and journey to Delhi and then to New York is not only swift but convenient. A quarter into the book, the 18 years old, Triti, has changed her identity and moved out of the country, only to discover the smoke and mirrors in the world. Her trysts are yet to unfold.
This is a story of sheer grit and the desire to survive, against all odds. From small towns and impoverished societies rise some of the strongest souls who become an inspiration. Triti’s story, even in adversity, speaks of the power of serendipity and the inner strength that can pave the path for redemption and healing if ever there is for those who have experienced the darkest depths of society.
One day I will fly away
On gossamer wings
Adorned with fairy dust;
You will crumble into mud
My sweet cocoon
My captive hut!
Book: Espresso with the Devil
Author: Thomas Poppe
Genre: Fiction, Self-Discovery, New-Age
Review Copy: Reedsy
Available on: Amazon.in
Must Read!
A title as interesting as Espresso with the Devil keeps up to its promise of being an engrossing read. Tom, a writer, is approached at the airport by Fred, who introduces himself as the Devil. The Devil is worried and he needs Tom to carry his message to mankind. The premise reminds me of two popular renderings on modern television – Lucifer on Netflix and Crawley from Good Omens on Prime Video – and Fred seems as intriguing and entertaining as these televised characters.
Soon, the writer and Devil are engaged in contemporary discourse on the nature and purpose of modern life. The discussions elaborate how the Devil is able to allure humans to go against their basic instincts and indulge in complex and artificial living that exacerbates the struggles of humanity.
The onslaught of technology diminishes mental faculties. Ease, convenience leads to decay. As fake news, deep fake, permeate our lives, the conscientious can identify the perils of idolizing achievers and creating role models, without knowing the whole truth.
The discussion delves into the competition, materialism, commercialization, scientific and medical advancements, as concepts that imply success but actually are instruments of destruction. Harmony and equality perturb negative forces, hence, rivalry and envy are created in the Devil’s workshop.
The contemplation provides advice to free oneself of the rat race and reclaim the simplicity of a hard-working life for a fulfilling existence. Impulsiveness in thought and action, quick fixes, and striving for the luxurious lead to many of our daily and long-term problems. These are just some of the intriguing topics touched upon in this engrossing read.
The conversation is light, yet the message is deep. A book to be relished in one go and then picked up in moments of deliberation, making an impact one passage at a time. It is a self-help book but for humanity. It puts in words all our scattered thoughts on what is wrong with our world.
Practical insights, spiritual messages, anecdotes, and Devil Hacks may help us reset, recover, renew, or leave us wondering at the impending fate of humans. A book that makes one think is worth the time and attention. I am glad to have discovered it. It pulsates with the anguish of our modern lives and how we are in self-destruct mode. Is there a way to turn away from the abyss? Let the book reveal.
Blue Pen Strokes 