Though all forms of writing are unique, poetry stands out. Mainly because it is so commercially unsuccessful, and anyone who writes it has to be passionate about the craft and not money. I have written poems all my life, and I am happy to publish an anthology of them in my new book, “Significant And Heartfelt”. As I say in the blurb, “These poems are a boisterous celebration of life in all its forms without judging it.”
One of the people to whom I dedicate this anthology is Poet Grace, whose real name was Manik Godghate. Manik was the name my grandfather gave me at my birth, but it never appeared in any of my official documents, so I was never called Manik by my friends or colleagues. When I had to start my writing career, I chose that name, not only because of my grandfather, but also as a tribute to Poet Grace. (Incidentally, the other part Bal comes from another Marathi poet, Bal Sitaram Mardhekar).
If you are a poetry lover, and have a KU subscription, you can check it out. I am not going to market this book aggressively, since I know it is no use. Poetry does not sell. But still I would like to be read by genuine poetry lovers, and your feedback would mean a lot to me.
Here is the blurb :-
Significant And Heartfelt is Manik’s first poetry collection. These are poems that talk about love, life, longing, death and sorrow. Manik has dedicated this book to his influences – T.S. Eliot, Mirza Ghalib, and Poet Grace(aka Manik Godghate). The poems are as internal looking as they relish the world outside.
In a poem, Manik is shocked by a suicide, in another he is talking about “Life Itself”. There are poems about a small, quaint street in Bangalore, and there is a reply to Wang Wei about the changing nature of One’s poems. Manik talks about Aliens in the same breath as he talks about a Yogi meditating on his breath. These poems are a boisterous celebration of life in all its forms without judging it.
You can buy it here