Sonal Singh On Sonal's Table
Book title – Just another wave (poetry)
Publisher – Room9 publications, ArtoonsInn Pages – 72 Language – English
Author – Sai Surve Rane
Available on – Amazon.in
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Just another wave is a volume that showcases the dichotomous relationship between a wave and the shore. The wave offers freedom; the shore adheres to its boundaries. The wave offers the lure of dreams; the shore is bound to the pragmatism of life.
The book via the poems explores everything that lies between reality and fanciful whimsy. Like waves, thoughts break upon the embankment of our mind. At times they are silent, introspective in nature and take us with them to realizations. At other times, the thoughts are wild, turbid and crash on the mind as waves do at the shore to surge in and blanket us in momentary happiness or deep anguish. But, like waves, they do not stop. They are intangible and yet finite, much the same as life is.
The book is a compilation of 41 poems that are divided into 4 sections – the third planet from the sun, reflections, through the looking glass and detached. Encompassed within the confines of each section is an enswathement of emotions that make you reflect and introspect. Sai takes us through nature to the wonderful lanes of nostalgia and lost childhood. As a reader, you identify with what she has written not because it is well-written but because it is you that she could have been writing about. Yes, that is the depth of the verses. They seem about you and your life because what Sai writes is not an isolated truth. It is a universal truth. It is her truth, your truth and it is mine.
I reproduce some verses that really touched me:
From the poem ‘The Candle’
//It took a spark to ignite, and burning to give light. Warmth to melt, a touch to be felt, for it was not in her nature to pine alone, and what was wax could never be stone.//
From the poem ‘Sands of Time’
//They trickled slowly down the funnel, no sound of bells or chime, quietly, through the glass tunnel ran out the sands of time.
The mighty mountain stood its ground, foreboding, all alone. The waves would all come and pound their fists onto its stones….//
I know that poetry changes in perspective from reader to reader. What one may take away from a verse may not be another’s take-away. But, this book is sure to touch a chord with everyone. It’s hard for me to pick just one poem but if I had to pick the one that touched me the most, it would be ‘The Lost Winter’. I loved the juxtaposition of hope and despair, happiness and sorrow that Sai has brought out in this poem.
Recommendation – If you love to read poetry and are looking to nose-dive into a wave of mellow emotion, this book is for you.
Great review Sonal.