Sweta Srivastava Vikram has once again proven that poetry that touches your heart is not necessarily love drenched. Beyond the Scent of Sorrow is a ground breaking collection of Sweta Srivastava Vikram's latest poetry collection that delves deep into the psyche and the challenges faced by women all over the world.
The very first poem in the part 1 of the collection hammers down the harsh reality softened only by the sweet muslin lyrical flow of words.
"the same eucalyptus trees that bled rivers
until oil grew wings and flowed with fragrance.
The flowers sang a eulogy
as the rain muted the pains - the birth of paper."
The struggle of a working woman is beautifully described in these line below:
"But something burns a river - my silence
and your abandoned conversations with honesty
because I am a person with gentle feet
and no cigar to perk up your ego"
The part 2 of the collection is completely different than part one, while the first part philosophies the second goes deep into the urn of sorrow and picks up the various muted bruises buried long ago.
It would be really hard to pick up one to site as an example where all the poems one after another tells a heart wrenching story.
But the author has aptly summed up the story of mourning in her last poem titled "Standing alone like the Eucalyptus tree"
"The breeze strips me naked,
the sun bares me whole.
Leaves scattered on my breast
as orphans on the streets of Mumbai."
As the name of the chapbook is evocative so is each and every poem in the collection and their scent reaches out and touches the sensibilities of every human being.
Overall an outstanding collection suitable for all those who love poetry and the magic of this collection won't leave even the poetry virgin reader untouched.
A Book Review by Smita Singh
The very first poem in the part 1 of the collection hammers down the harsh reality softened only by the sweet muslin lyrical flow of words.
"the same eucalyptus trees that bled rivers
until oil grew wings and flowed with fragrance.
The flowers sang a eulogy
as the rain muted the pains - the birth of paper."
The struggle of a working woman is beautifully described in these line below:
"But something burns a river - my silence
and your abandoned conversations with honesty
because I am a person with gentle feet
and no cigar to perk up your ego"
The part 2 of the collection is completely different than part one, while the first part philosophies the second goes deep into the urn of sorrow and picks up the various muted bruises buried long ago.
It would be really hard to pick up one to site as an example where all the poems one after another tells a heart wrenching story.
But the author has aptly summed up the story of mourning in her last poem titled "Standing alone like the Eucalyptus tree"
"The breeze strips me naked,
the sun bares me whole.
Leaves scattered on my breast
as orphans on the streets of Mumbai."
As the name of the chapbook is evocative so is each and every poem in the collection and their scent reaches out and touches the sensibilities of every human being.
Overall an outstanding collection suitable for all those who love poetry and the magic of this collection won't leave even the poetry virgin reader untouched.
A Book Review by Smita Singh
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