relationships – Page 5 – Emotional Shadows

#Book Reviews – Five Stars for each one

Published on January 9, 2025January 8, 2025 by balroop singh35 Comments

Last year, I didn’t post any reviews here though I had read a few books that I wanted to highlight. I was drifting into darkest corridors, writing only when I felt like crying my heart out. Sharing my emotions through poetry has really helped me to gather my strength. I am thankful to all my blogger buddies for their love and support.

This year one of my resolves is to read more and post the reviews. Here are some FIVE STAR reads!

‘Tale of the Seasons’ Weaver’ is a wondrous fantasy that connects with realism at many levels. Trust, love, respect, courage and struggle are intrinsic parts of the plot. The struggle to weave spring – the season of hope and light is a profound symbol of survival in this world, replete with strife.

Erith has inherited the magic of weaving the seasons, and an eye for color from her mother, Dania. She has a tremendous responsibility as the seasons couldn’t change without her presence. Despite the doubts about her talents, Erith completes her first tapestry and is ready to deliver the change of season but Winter King is indignant and she is caught between the rancor of the charmed and the mistakes of human beings who forget their place and think that they are more powerful than the forces of nature.

Peach has a knack for creating a stunning situation to grab you into it, making you one of the characters standing there, watching how they will handle the crisis. The prologue prepares you for an incredible action, as terror unleashes from page one, but there are many soft moments in this multidimensional story. The growth of Erith is phenomenal, as she learns to acknowledge her talent and gathers confidence.

You have to read this book slowly to savor the poetic style of writing, as the words rise to request a halt and chew the expressions like “blood bloomed, bright as a summer rose,” “her veils an opalescent mist,” ice-spanked finery,” and many more. The imagery like “embers whirled like fireflies past the moon’s face” delighted my heart. Whether it is the description of Winter Palace or the legend of Nelithi, the Spring Princess or Autumn Prince, Peach excels in conjuring a perfect world, worth visiting. I would highly recommend this book – a symphony of seasons.

‘Protective Instinct’ is a fast-paced, intriguing thriller with a multi-dimensional plot. It was difficult to put it down and I raced through it just like its non-stop action. When bestselling author Sebastian Bartoli’s friend devises a plan for him to disappear to a secluded location, I had my doubts. Familiar with York’s writing style, I couldn’t trust anyone and could figure out the sinister designs around him. The suspense mounts with Morgan’s entry – has she been planted? Is she really what she seems to be?

Wow! It only proves to be the tip of the iceberg. There is much more that lies buried and York handles it masterfully! I bet it is not easy to predict what lies ahead when Max Fontana makes his dramatic entry. Once again, I slipped off my seat, eager to know whether he was a truthful man and what his real motive was.

I was awe-struck by Morgan’s character – so different from the traditional female protagonists – independent planner, decisive, adventurous and a survivor with outstanding values. Other characters are drawn with brilliant strokes and fit into the story so well, as the shades of gray and black mingle to define them.

This book is a riveting read that keeps you invested till the last page. Highly recommended.

‘And Then You Were Gone’ is a powerful comment on bullying. The immediate effects may not be visible; the victim may put up a brave front but emotional scars can mar a person’s personality.

A single mother raises her daughter with immense love. Her life centers around Sophie, who has a childhood friend – her playmate, and they find happiness in the little joys of life. However, growing up brings along unseen burdens that may prove to be challenging for teenagers. Sophie’s peer group shapes her into a different kind of person.

A combination of realism and fantasy, the story flows well. It conveys some subtle messages, and highlights the importance of sharing your thoughts and emotions. Isolation makes you more vulnerable. Nick is eager to help but Sophie chooses Tristan, thereby slipping deeper into the abyss that was inescapable. The ending stunned me. I didn’t expect it.

Logan handles the mother-daughter relationship astutely, giving space to each other. The helplessness of a doting mother stands out, as Sophie draws into her shell. I would like to recommend this novella to teenagers as well as parents who want to raise responsible and sensitive children.

Thank you. More reviews are coming soon.

Here is the Amazon link for my new poetry book.

For more poetry, hang out with Hues Of Hope

#TankaTuesday #Poetry Challenge

Published on November 12, 2024 by balroop singh43 Comments

This week, the challenge is given by an accomplished poet, Willow. She wants the poet to choose a piece of music and “write a syllabic poem about how the music either makes you feel or what it suggests to you.”

This iconic song, shot in 1960, still inspires the lovers to believe that love knows no fears. She is a commoner and loves the Prince but the king promises her freedom from imprisonment if she dances in his court. She grabs the opportunity to declare her love that is eternal, despite the consequences.

A string of dodoitsu has been inspired from this song. Thanks to Tanka Tuesday host.

A dodoitsu is a Japanese form of poetry that is sometimes performed as a folk song. It has 26 syllables: 7 in the first, second and third lines, and 5 in the last line. (7/7/7/5). No rhyming. No title.

Magical aura of love
immerses two souls in a pool
of divine joy that freezes time
moments dare not stir.

***

it ushers spring into life
it whispers songs of delight
but adds embers of passion
love is so sublime.

***

love is a cascading creek
that flows with blithe abandon
donning beams of ecstasy
carves its own pathways.

***

enigmatic yet precious
it smashes all the barriers
power of love is superb
do not challenge it.
© Balroop Singh

Thank you dear readers.

Here is the Amazon link for my new poetry book.

For more poetry, hang out with Hues Of Hope

New Release – Just One Goodbye

Published on September 15, 2024 by balroop singh63 Comments

Grief is like a perennial stream that flows unaffected, as the layers of glacier that sit within our hearts get thicker each moment. The tunnels of thawed emotions struggle to find a passage, which is often blocked by outside influence – by our own family members and friends. Their words of sympathy try to plug the bleeding holes, little knowing that some cracks are permanent; they can’t be darned. I’ve tried to give vent to my frozen feelings in these poems.

Shocked beyond words at the sudden demise of my husband, I found refuge in poetry. With a choked throat and numb lips, I sat shivering. Alone, unable to speak.

Tears flowed when I wrote these poems; they continued to flow when I read them again and again to check for any errors. Now they lurk around the rims of my eyes, the heaviness in the heart has not decreased; the emptiness in the pit of my stomach makes me shudder even now, after almost a year of being alive without him.

This journey through grief is now available for pre-order.

Here is the link: your book’s detail page* in the Kindle Store. A paperback will be available within two days.

Dear friends and blogger buddies, thank you for reading my poems though they’ve taken a turn into dark alleys but I promise to emerge from them, one day.

Balroop Singh.

#BookReviews: 5 #Stars for Each one!

Published on October 6, 2023October 5, 2023 by balroop singh33 Comments

Here are the latest books that I’ve read and reviewed. There are three more, which I would share in another post.

Mae takes you along to Harbor Inn, creates a perfect aura to immerse in the mystery that she creates from page one, with her signature style – “The creaking, jostling carriage,” “dusk made darker” by the dense pine and cedars, “heavy mist of the pacific and the clop of hoofbeats reverberating,” the rope burn that gaped on either side of his neck and the pocket watch – such is the symbolic portal that opens the moment you start reading The Price of Atonement. It is not just the style of writing that would keep you hooked, the exquisite prose and the characters evoke many emotions that linger long after you’ve read the last page. Fast-paced and packed with action, the story keeps getting darker as it proceeds. I could empathize with Iona and Willie. Leviticus too becomes worth loving as the mysteries fall apart.

Why is Leviticus searching for a particular spirit? What is his connection with the ghost? Why does he want her to cross over to the other world, willingly? What is the guilt that has brought him to Harbor Pointe? If you are an assiduous reader, you’ll find many hints to guess the answers to these questions. Iona would shock you but the reactions of Leviticus have been brilliantly described.

The Price of Atonement is much more than a mysterious story, it stirs human values that lie dormant within us till somebody ignites them. I finished reading it within a few hours, as I couldn’t put it down. Highly recommended.

Dreamland by Patricia Furstenberg is a fascinating book – one of its kind, as it infuses new life into folklore and legends of the past. If you look at the mesmerizing cover of the book carefully, it conveys where it is going to transport you and how succinct the stories are. I’ve never heard the stories it tells, and therefore its charm doubled for me.

The stories speak about the art (cave paintings) that has survived wars, earthquakes and battles. Stories like ‘Ogling a Hen with Gold Eggs,’ Idyllic Edelweiss, Tough Luck at Lower Viseul have a magical appeal. Many legends from the regions of Romania come alive, and many of them tell how towns and villages got their names. Each story ends with a short piece of history to explain its significance. The prose is lyrical in many stories. There is poignancy, valor and discrimination embedded within the stories. It is a marvel how Furstenberg says so much within a 100 word story!

She seems to be a poet at heart. Her exotic style shines through such sentences:

“Spring’s shamrock changed its coat for a lustre-less pickle that turns to mulch through rainfalls.”

“Peaceful plains like a sleeping maiden naively awaiting the kiss of dawn’s brightest star.”

“Hope was a stern mistress.”

“Words whisper from a slab of red marble.”

“The mountain path like an emerald belt hugged the curves of Bargau Mountains whose tree-church sang of life and death.”

Patricia also shares beautiful pictures of the landscape, Romanian pottery, fortresses, churches and Banffy Castle. I enjoyed each moment of reading these stories.

‘Three-Penny Memories’ is a powerful and poignant reflection on Leonhard’s life, her relationship with her mother and emotional upheavals that made her resilient.

Packed with emotions, most of the poems are about her mother’s Alzheimer’s but that takes her back to her encephalitis and she dwells on the weird connection with her mother’s condition. As a caregiver, she lays bare her struggle with the failing memory of her mother. Her dilemma – “I’m always torn. Mom or career? Mom or marriage? Mom or my own sanity?” A “doting daughter” who hangs onto the false hope that “mother will recover” evokes an uncanny kinship with the reader.

“Never a mother except to my own.” Just one phrase sums up the poet’s woes. The anguish of “my broken womb” continues to haunt her thoughts, resurfacing in many poems. Pain and guilt mingle to produce intense poetry that tugs at your heartstrings.

While an ‘Ode to the Embryo’ wrenched my heart out, ‘An Unsanctioned Outing’ gave me goosebumps. It is brilliantly written with the metaphor of a bus. Leonhard’s love for her mother shines through ‘Mom’s Dreams’ and ‘The Phone of the Wind.’ What a befitting homage!

Some memorable phrases that stayed with me:

“Her memories linger as lint.”

“You shelter in my wound of wanting.”

Thank you! Happy reading!

Many thanks to all the readers who’ve read my latest release and shared their fabulous reviews of my poetry book – Fusion – my latest release

#BookReviews #Poetry #Stories

Published on September 19, 2023September 19, 2023 by balroop singh54 Comments

It’s been a while since I shared the reviews of the books I’ve read. Here are some of my favorites, each one got glittering five stars from me.

Deep in the Forest Where Poetry Blooms is divided into two parts – the first one is dedicated to seasons and Finn takes us along, as she walks through the forest. The second part of the book explores free spirit, in which she shares her musings from the back of the Harley.

Finn sits under the pink flowering dogwood tree and her imagination blends into the colors of spring, as Mother Nature awakens to offer a breath of life to the world around her; butterflies receive the gift of nectar and “soil bursts with new life.” Dawn filters through pines, as she watches the birds, flirting in the trees and honeybees returning to collect nectar. Even her furry friends celebrate the advent of spring and enjoy her company.

Summer poems brilliantly capture the images of public pools and “droopy potted plants,” as “searing winds” change the colors of the landscape. Even the birds are quiet, while the poet is inspired by the silent summer day to write lovely haiku and tanka.

Fall evokes “peace” and more micro-poetry, as “leaves sway in the soft breeze” offering “tinted red” landscape. Winter poems talk about hush in the forest and exhort you to soak in the silence of the days to contemplate about the never-ending cycle of growth and rebirth.

‘Until’ is my favorite poem because of exotic imagery like: “Exquisite white flakes waltz from the heavens.” ‘Edge of the Ocean’ is also beautifully written.

“My recliner becomes my island” from ‘Float,’ “Winter’s frozen grasp” from ‘Winter Limericks,’ and “distance became my harmony” from ‘Distance’ also spoke to me.

Each poem in this collection would play with your senses, transport you to the forest to celebrate blissful moments and enjoy the magical portals that Mother Nature opens for us. Finn’s poetry introduces us to that magic with her amazing style of bringing it alive. The haibuns took my heart away. A fabulous collection – not to be missed.

This is How We Grow is a learning experience, as the stories introduce the reader to various perspectives, which can only be discerned if we hear the point of view of those who have lived their lives in a different environment. The stories shared by Ana Linden exemplify this perfectly. Women may take pride in their liberation in some countries but they are still bound by traditional societies, as highlighted by Ana.

Robbie shares her experiences of raising her two sons and her poignant stories would wrench your heart out, remind you of your blessings and fill your heart with gratitude. I salute her willpower and grit that she could concentrate on her laptop while sitting in a hospital! ‘Cat Healer’ is another gem. I am not a cat lover but this story changed my perspective toward cats.

The stories that Mahesh shares are a breather, as he presents them with a dash of humor and tells you how the little moments of life are valuable and impactful. His exquisite style of writing shines through sentences like: “Then came the dial-up connection and worldwide web, like sips of water to someone delirious from thirst.”

Lauren exhorts you to develop self-compassion, while Mabel shares an honest self-reflection about her writing journey. All the stories are unique in their own way, as each one shows some aspect of life that needs to be understood from another point of view.

NIRMALA: The Mud Blossom highlights abject poverty, squalor, discrimination, domestic violence and misery that an innocent girl had to undergo in the stinking, unhygienic slums of Mumbai. Her crime – she is a female!

Pathan doesn’t leave anything to the reader’s imagination, as she vividly describes the untold physical and mental agony that is inflicted upon Nirmala. She transports you to the slums, making each nook and cranny come alive, so that you can smell the stench emanating from open drains, human excreta and garbage dump.

Nirmala’s character grows from a silent, helpless girl to a strong and resilient woman, eager to follow the demands of her family and traditions of society. Is that enough? Keep reading this fast-paced story, dripping with stark realism, which would seem unbelievable!

Happy reading!

Balroop Singh.