balroop singh

I Am Always Around…

Published on January 7, 2021January 6, 2021 by balroop singh61 Comments

HOPE

On the first day of the New Year, I stepped out to see the change. Same sky, cloudless. No traces of much needed rain. Same sounds of cars whizzing past. Muffled faces. And then I saw him in the corner – HOPE! All bundled up, still shivering! I looked at him with expectant eyes.

“Procrastinator! Are you illusionary?” I sneered at him.
He spoke to me:

“I know you love me
I know you hinge on me
When you tread on darker paths
I know I inspire you.”

“And you take pleasure in elusive tricks?”

“ I have my constraints
I float on the tide of time
I possess no magic wand
I hold a mirror to your ways.

“Sometimes I get caught
In the currents of cacophony
Discords and disharmonies
Pull me down, make me dormant.”

“And so you walk out?”

“I am always around
I whisper through the breeze
I glisten in your heart
I blend in your prayers.

“I absorb all words, perceptions and actions
My strings are stronger than faith
Those who hang on get rewarded
But your own role matters most.
© Balroop Singh

Thank you for reading. Looking forward to new changes in 2021 that usher in new hope.

If you like poetry, please check my latest book: Magical Whispers

Pick up your copy at Amazon.

#Welcome2021

Published on December 31, 2020 by balroop singh33 Comments

As darkness dissipates
And the sun ushers in 2021,
Let the colors of hope sheath
All that we leave behind
And stride ahead with smiles.
© Balroop Singh

Many thanks to all my readers and author buddies for their lovely support. The sun of 2021 is shining brightly, reminding us that each year brings along new opportunities. Looking forward to better times ahead. – Balroop Singh.

Happy Holidays

Published on December 21, 2020December 20, 2020 by balroop singh55 Comments

A cerulean fairy is beckoning me
Near the waterfall,
Beyond the snowy peaks,
Above the silvery clouds
I am entranced by her fragrance.

She is taking me to an idyllic land
Where smiles are not hidden
Behind the masks.
A land luminous with buoyancy,
Nothing less than Elysium.

She illuminates my conviction
Her light calms all worries,
Picks all the splinters
Invisible hope shimmers around her
With unwrap-able gifts.

I’ll be back with that hope.
Leaving behind the monsters of 2020
I am flying with the holiday fairy
If you want to join us
Just look at the horizon and smile.
©Balroop Singh, 2020

Wishing you a warm and safe holiday season. Happy reading!

If you like poetry, Check my latest book: Magical Whispers

Pick up your copy at Amazon.

Respect Or Love?

Published on December 10, 2020 by balroop singh49 Comments

“He who wants a rose must respect her thorn.”

“Choose one,” the command was loud and clear.

I was confused. How could I choose one? I didn’t know love and was too young to understand respect but I was argumentative and would always rise against the commands.

“I want both.” I spoke with immense confidence.

I was pushed aside. My turn was over.

One by one each person was given a choice and they left the arena with the group they opted for. I kept on waiting. My blood boiled at the authoritative voice of the leader who took pleasure in his arbitrary designs on us. Who gave him this power to rule over our emotions? Why are we here?

I looked around, trying to figure out the place. How did I reach here? Strange, stern faces stared at me.

“This is your last chance to choose,” I could hear some kindness in this voice.

“But why?” Before I could speak another word, I was dragged away into a dark alley and my sobs could be heard.

*****

Some dreams keep coming back probably because some notions remain dormant in our subconscious minds. Whenever I read a disturbing book about injustice, my mind hurtles back and transports me into unimaginable lands that I could have seen in movies.

Love – the basic emotion that connects us with life and people.

Respect – the essential trait that raises man to his civilized state.

How could anyone survive without them? This question has always haunted my mind and keeps coming back whenever I see or hear about any atrocities being inflicted on fellow human beings.

Love can still be pretended but respect can’t be faked. It reveals itself through our body language.

“I love you.” “You are my best friend.” I have heard many such refrains from people around me but I could make out from their body language and actions how selfish their love was. It changes its contours according to the situation.

Respect cannot be claimed. It shows itself, it reflects in the eyes. It is an offshoot of love.

Can you choose one? Yet there are people who have none.

Thank you for reading and pondering. Please share your thoughts.

Check my latest book

#BookReview: Lords of Chaos

Published on December 5, 2020December 4, 2020 by balroop singh60 Comments

Never have I read any fantasy series faster than D. Wallace Peach’s ‘Unraveling the Veil’ trilogy. Too much fantasy doesn’t humor a realist like me, who likes to blend both but subtle realism in these three books amazed me. Lords of Chaos is the third book in the series. I’ve enjoyed all three.

Lords of Chaos, as the name suggests, acquaints us with “the First of Chaos,” who unleashes unspeakable devastation and despair in the fantasy world created by D. Wallace Peach. The story unravels deeper deceptions, as nobody could figure out who had robbed whom of his body and who was a changeling. Even so-called leaders couldn’t be trusted. Elves, changelings and goblins – all have to pay a heavy price as their world falls apart. Jungles are burnt, chaos rampage through their lands and innocent people drown in floods. Truth, compassion and kindness are thrown to the winds.

This book is a subtle comment on the world of today, hinting at the cunningness and selfishness of the people who hold authority. It seems to suggest that those who ignore their blessings, those who conspire against their own people and don’t respect each other are bound to face dire consequences.

The highlight of this book is the exquisite description of war scenes, so rare in modern literature. I marvel at the poetic prose, in the midst of war:
“Colossal chunks of sculpted stone, the elegant art of master manipulators, smashed against the sheer walls and plunged into the silver river far below.”
“Braced within the trees, she screamed and shifted. The air rippled with heat. Leaf litter withered. Twigs smoldered and erupted into flames.”

This book remains unpredictable till the last page but the trilogy must be read in order, if you want to understand the values embedded within it. Highly recommended.

– Balroop Singh