Book cover designed by Walter Crane for A Masque of Days by Charles Lamb.
Tread gently and stay for a while The crisp summer air beckons Emerald trees tip their branches Swaying leaves give a nod Hear the birdsong in the breeze Sunkissed glades, always serene Look around you, notice the pace It’s tender, slow, in a lazy way
We pursue and embrace chaos The hustle and hassle of our days Sleepless, hopeless, washed away Riding a storm, dropped like debris A wild goose chase; always in a hurry Our souls are tired; we know it all The entire futility, yet we cannot Tread gently and come to a halt
Today, I wrap them up, Tuck them away in a corner The worry and weight I carried I shove them aside Now, I seek to return to words That aspire to be heard
They tore out the letters Wriggling on my lips – These troublesome thoughts They snuck into my space Where the poetry should live With the stories craving to be
I am ready to reclaim my peace Banish the darkness With whatever spell it takes, To let the ink not run dry And creativity to burst forth Like molten sparks from my core.
Book cover designed by Thomas Watson Ball for Gilian, the Dreamer, His Fancy, His Love and Adventure by Neil Munro.
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.
Reading and reviewing books for ReedsyDiscovery has become an integral part of my daily schedule. My reading game seems to be spot on even though I don’t give it a thought. I get the Reedsy Discovery top book reviewers for the month badge when I am least accepting it. I do not count the books I read in a month or compete to get this badge. I just pick up a book that draws me in – be it the book cover or the back cover blurb.
I read parts of a book throughout the day. Each weekend, I carve out a good 3-4 hours to write and publish book reviews. I always have a read and review task on my to-do list. Honestly, it requires discipline, dedication, time, and effort. Yet, it comes effortlessly because it is a cherished interest. It has helped me grow in so many ways.
I have read some brilliant books this year and the stories have stayed with me. I often ponder over the stories or the lessons I garnered from the non-fiction book I consumed.
The most endearing part is that the authors are also thinking about my review of their work. I receive comments and emails from authors and it warms my heart. Many request me to read another of their work or contact me with advanced review copies (ARC) when their new work is ready to be unveiled. It’s a symbiotic author-reader relationship – unique because we only know each other through words.
We build bridges across the world with our words. I can only stand in awe of all the brilliant talent out there and gaze with greedy eyes wanting to consume the brilliance of these works of art and creativity.
Blue Pen Strokes 