“A poet dares be just so clear and no clearer… He unzips the veil from beauty, but does not remove it. A poet utterly clear is a trifle glaring.” — E. B. White, from One Man’s Meat. 

Some write to impress, some to express and some have the ability to bring across a change of thought! Well, the book today under the review has that shade of boldness where multitude layers of emotions have been conveyed and provokes one to think.

Book Review 

Title of the Book: She and other poems

Author's Name: Huma Masood

Format: PDF

 

About the Author:

The author is a professional market researcher turned author and Huma Masood has published three Kindle books and a poetry book. She has contributed to various anthologies and e-zines.
She holds an MBA and dabbles in creative arts.

She pours her heart out on her blog www.silkenscribblings.co, writes poems on Yourquote.com and is registered with Canva as a contributor & effectively preparing shareable digital creative templates for e-book covers, Instagram stories and more, that you could edit and make your own.

Narration: The narration is crisp, poignant and thought provoking . It is compelling in its own unique way and can be felt only when indulged with.

Book Cover & Title: The book cover & the illustrations leave an indelible imprint on the reader’s mind owing to its creative excellence. I was stunned to discover that the poetess contributes her services officially to Canva ! I would like to give her a round of applause for this special feel that she has been able to create through the use of brilliant graphics & use of bold colors.

Content:

The first impact is when the reader finds out that the book is dedicated to the frontline warriors of the pandemic and the brave hearts providing us with essential services.This surely is praiseworthy.

The book is a collection of thirty three poems divided into four parts – She, Dilemma, Inspired & Random Thoughts .

The part so rightly titled “She” talks about the half of the population of the human world, which unlike any other species has to make a never ending effort to be heard, to be treated equally! The portion speaks the heart of a woman who despite everything struggles to free herself from the strong shackles of patriarchy to pursue her dreams , to be herself.

We are like little birds in different types of cages.
Few feel free to chirp, hop and fly.
Until they collide with the cage confines. Then they know
the limits.

The above hard hitting lines just mirrors the truth that is prevalent in the current world where a woman still lives under the mirage of freedom and everyday tries to redefine her own existence. Yet amidst everything , the poetess showcases how a woman tries to emerge despite all odds when she writes

She looks up the tall mountains,
The inviting green terrains
Tempt her to break her restraints
And explore the high domains.

From highlighting the truth behind the #blackandwhite photography challenge to citing that Strong is the new beautiful , the poetess as if uses bold color strokes like an artist and expresses the depth of what a woman feels , of achieving the societal equilibrium , the meaning of true freedom of being able to voice opinions . She effectively speaks the heart of every woman.

The second part touches upon the dilemmas that we all come across in human lives. From words that act as knives, to citing that even the darkest of the night will fade away in her distinctive style she writes as below

when the sun is born

with rays of gold

and truths unfold

The poetess swiftly takes you across a plateau where one wants to lie down and understand life from the eyes of the poetess.

The reader will fall in love with the juices of inspiration that flow like a river in the next part where she says

Just like the pressure on clay molds the vase into
an elegant shape, the pressure you face expands your horizons.

A sense of upliftment can be felt in this section and there is a call to “cry for fresh beginnings” .She calls for the desire to be strong enough where “dream, a wildflower blooms where the dares to dare” .

Her musings showcased in the last section titled “Random Thoughts” are very profound in nature !

The striking aspect of this book is that it is no frill, a sharp manual which paints a rainbow of emotions across your brain with the minimal use of words. The very succinct nature of the poems is definitely unique in nature .And some of the poems are like arrows that hit the bull’s eye . The book for me was like a speedy river that with all its strength channelizes through the realms of self awareness, empowerment, introspection & throws light on today’s reality !

Few lines that touched my heart from one of her poems titled ” The Mirror ” are as below:

Dark kohl lining her brown eyes 
And mascara that complies 
Paints conceal her milky skin 
But that persistent square chin 
Betrays an obstinate soul 
That none will ever control 

While siting on your comfortable couch , if you want to traverse the path which shows you the perils of a patriarchal society to that of the pandemic, please immerse yourself in this book which surely stands out and proves the point that ‘Poetry is powerful ‘ and is a catalyst for bringing in a change!

The book is available for free download on the Blogchatter website:   She and Other Poems

The book blurb is as below:

PS. This book is part of #BlogChatterEbook carnival in which my book, Heartfelt Symphonies was also launched and is available for free download as of now.

Love,

Chinmayee