Sequined dreams In the sky As I stitch every teardrop Into the firmament For you to see when You gaze at the moon In my memory
It was a strong heart But feather-light it floated Buoyed by dreams, hopes Reaching the sky so blue; Tie it firmly with icy strings Till the cold permeates Freezes that tender love For warm and flush It tends to bleed red Staining all the world!
What colors do you see, In this unfinished portrait? It waits for blue From the waves To fill vacant eyes A contrary wind Reversed ocean To bring you back
The glorious orb of life Has disappeared behind The smog of callous living Heavy smoke stings the eyes Blinding haze separates us, A dying earth consumes much As ashes rain, acids scald Green is now breathless gray Blue has long lost its blaze Brown is the barren land There are no pathless woods Where one can escape From gassed urban prisons; We know not where to go No cresting foliage of respite; Just black gloom sneaking in From the recesses of our minds
Comeback is a compilation of poems on the theme of bouncing back from a dire circumstance to regain a former favorable condition. The book will be available on Amazon from November 15, 2021 and features some of my poems on the theme.
As a life-long student of history, I know every chapter resounds with the story of Heaven and Hell!
Ambition prophesied Madness was not Kingdom in sight But hell it brought Murder, malice Truckloads of lies A slice of heaven Promised delight All for naught Power unchecked, A tragedy wrought!
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Kings can’t smother Smolders of a revolution For when men burn, Sparks reach heaven Ashes color hell A world rebels For those who suffer So history tells
The New Face of Grief is a relevant book because grief is omnipresent in human life. Through the global pandemic, grief is a prevailing emotion. This work aims to help us not to make grief omnipotent in our life.
The author, Katie Rössler, highlights important concepts that we relegate to the background. Grief is not always about death, illness, and separation. Grief abounds in more sub-categories than we realize and accept. For example, a change of location, getting married, or changing jobs may cause grief and it is not just a passing emotion. At the onset, she sets the pace, “The reality, dear reader, is that the journey of grief cannot be rushed.”
The book is full of wisdom, neatly laid down in concise chapters. Initially, I felt the author unnecessarily seemed to justify writing this book because of her personal traumatic experiences. Once you get past that there are real grief stories, too. You find a comprehensive yet deep inquiry into everything within and beyond grief. It touches on ignored topics like humor as a tool to tackle grief, or when grief becomes a family matter.
The New Face of Grief
This book is relevant for those who want to understand and tackle their grief and for caretakers or loved ones to learn how to help a grieving person. While judging and shaming are not expected, telling someone to pull themselves out of “the pit” is also not acceptable. Grief-handling is a delicate and mostly long process that is shrouded in diverse social and emotional inhibitions. However, grief should not be hampered by guilt or the demands to spur back to normal. There are no rules of grief.
The author addresses important aspects of grief that may lead to addiction, depression, and physical and mental ailments. There is power in “ugly crying” and there are “deeper lessons” in the process of grieving. Part 3 of the book is engrossing as it highlights the manifestations of grief in both physical and mental terms. In the end, she talks about the tools of healing.
This book is a succinct treasure trove of all grief-related questions and challenges. I recommend this as a handbook for yourself and also your loved ones. We cannot face what we do not understand. When we find a simple guide, like in the pages of this book, the journey may feel less lonely and far less intimidating.
Blue Pen Strokes 