Heartfelt, raw, honest and thought-provoking are all words that come to mind when thinking of Saris and a Single Malt by Sweta Srivastava Vikram. A moving collection of poems written upon the illness and unexpected death of Sweta's Mother. Ms. Vikram allows us to join her in her journey of grief, as she shares with us from the very beginning a journey she does not want to make, but ultimately we all must sometime in our lives.
What is a daughter, but a reflection of her mother. We are born of her and raised by her, and she is an intimate reminder that it is because of her we are here. But what happens when our mother's leave us? As a child I clinged to my mother as she left me that first day of school. And as life has shown it's many colors, my mother has always been there. And she is still in my life today. But what will happen when she is not here any longer? I try not to think of it, but as I read Saris and a Single Malt, I was drawn to the poems that voiced the words that I know I would feel too. Lines that I could feel deep inside me as I read them silently...
"I think it is a bad joke---- Mumma isn't sick
I had spoken with her two days ago
And promised to cook, Kalam Polow
When I see her next..."
from: Friday, May 30, 2014
"the rain beating
tells me a story
about the loss I'm not willing to hear"
from: Looking For Signs...
Crashing
"I can't be a Zen wave in the ocean---
crashing into the shore
pretending
you never returning is okay."
Saris and a Single Malt is a deeply effecting work, that will resonate with readers long after the last page is read. It is a gift to a mother who will always be in a daughters thoughts. A wonderful collection of poetry that is fitting on any daughter's shelf. A collection that will help others deal with the loss of their own loved ones. Page count is 46 pages, and now available on Amazon in paperback or Kindle book. (and the Kindle book is a bargain at $2.51 right now!)
Stop by tomorrow as we welcome Sweta Srivastava Vikram to Chick with Books as part of her Poetic Book Tour for Saris and a Single Malt! She'll be doing a guest post! If you'd like to get to know Sweta a little better in the meantime, you can follow the link to her webpage at swetavikram.com
*BTW, I received a copy of Saris and a Single Malt from Poetic Book Tours for my honest review.
2 comments:
Thank you for being on the blog tour.
Wonderful, concise review! You don't just read the words of her poems, you feel them. Deeply.
I am on the tour later this month, and hope you will stop by and contribute to the conversation.
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