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Crèdit de la imatge: Sweta Vikram, publicity photo

Obres de Sweta Srivastava Vikram

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For someone who has a mother who is so very dear to me, and who is also my best friend, this slim volume of poetry was a difficult read. I can't imagine suddenly hearing that my mother had fallen critically ill and not being able to get to her in time. It is unfathomable.

Sweta Vikram has beautifully expressed her time as she rushed to get to her mother before she passed, and the unfortunate time after her passing. She poignantly gives glimpses of what her mother meant to her. Each poem gives us insight into how she is coping with, and working through, her grief.

As you can probably imagine, I had tears in my eyes while reading these poems. There were a couple that really hit home.

This....

Why Didn't You Wait For Me?

Such un-clarity on such a bright day,
such darkness in my verses.

I ask for a sign;
something, anything.

Can you hear me?

Did you know I needed
to give you a hug,
cook some Persian Kalam Pulao
when I saw you next?

A detour in your journey,
did you know fate?
Before leaving for Kashmir
did you gather
memories for me?

Why didn't you wait for me?
I ask the same question, over and over again, Ma.

I ask for a sign;
something, anything.
Can you hear me?

I wonder, as I stare at your body wrapped
in blue in the morgue. You look peaceful.
But I want to hear your hot, teasing words:

Chota kapdaa pehnee phir se?

I ask for a sign;
something, anything.
I weep silently,
thanking the thunder
for expressing my pain through the noise.

Why didn't you wait for me, Ma?

and this...

Time Changes Us

I hear you hum, "Time changes us all."
You always complained that I didn't write about you, Ma.
In thirty-six hours, I bled
a book of poems about you.

Writing is what helps me
keep you alive.
Writing is what tells me
don't lose faith.

I stand inside the sound of my words,
like a stranger lost in a dark forest.
I hear you hum, "Time changes us all."

*******

Vikram shares this cathartic experience with us and it is very powerful. It also shows us that losing someone changes us forever and we must move on, incorporating this change into our new life. I leave you with this quote from the beginning of the book which I will remember well in years to come. I find comfort in it.

"The reality is that you will grieve forever. You will not 'get over' the loss of a loved one; you will learn to live with it. You will heal and you will rebuild yourself around the loss you have suffered. You will be whole again but you will never be the same. Nor should you be the same nor would you want to." ~Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

(I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review)
… (més)
 
Marcat
TheTrueBookAddict | Mar 22, 2020 |
No Ocean Here by Sweta Srivastava Vikram, published by Modern History Press, is a collection of poems about the subjugation of women and all of its forms, across not only the Middle East and Africa, but also throughout the various parts of Asia and South Asia. These poetic portraits are often prefaced by some facts about a particular woman’s story encapsulated in the poem or about statistics of crimes against women in various countries. Not all of the poems are prefaced, but even those that are could stand on their own and speak for the women they represent. Beyond the violence and inequality women deal with on a daily basis, these poems also shed light on the women-on-women violence and the silent acceptance among older women of continuing these traditions with the younger generations.

Read the full review: http://savvyverseandwit.com/2013/04/no-ocean-here-by-sweta-srivastava-vikram.htm...
… (més)
 
Marcat
sagustocox | Apr 9, 2013 |
Beyond the Scent of Sorrow is a collection of poems by Sweta Srivastava Vikram . I find reviewing poetry books to be difficult. I think either the poems move you, or they do not. When poetry strikes a chord and makes you think and feel, I find that to be a wonderful thing.

Through her poems Sweta touches on womens issues in a powerful way. The poems are short, yet they are intense and thought provoking, sometimes in a subtle way. Sweta draws a comparison between how the eucalyptus trees in southwest Portugal are being cut down and the challenges that women face. The trees that were once revered, are now being cut down and replaced.

The poems deal with loss, abuse and poverty, among other issues. Sweta writes about the struggles women go through and the strength we have within ourselves.

I was especially moved by Will I Ever Be Anything More? which I found to be one of the softer poems.
"As I climb into bed
to patch up what you tore,
threads of truth leave me
wondering:
will I ever be anything more
than gangrene and broken bones to you? "

On the other hand, I Am Not the Shell Outside of the Pearl has more of an edge to it.
"I am not some denture
You forget in a cup of fine china."

After I read this collection, I went back and re-read the poems.
Overall this was a great collection of moving poetry. I really enjoyed reading these.
… (més)
 
Marcat
bookworm_naida | Hi ha 1 ressenya més | Mar 8, 2012 |
Beyond the Scent of Sorrow by Sweta Srivastava Vikram is a small collection of poems that draw parallels between nature and women. Reminiscent of Ecofeminism, a political and social combination of feminism and deep ecology that draws parallels between women and nature and calls attention to the misuse of both by patriarchy, Vikram develops a dialogue about the harm done to nature and women across the globe. Dominance of both by outside constructs — whether it is capitalism or man — has belittled the importance and strengths of both. Rather than wallow in the pain and repression, Vikram’s verse strives to cultivate women and nature’s strengths to demonstrate there is a way to overcome the oppression.

Read the full review: http://savvyverseandwit.com/2011/11/beyond-the-scent-of-sorrow-by-sweta-srivasta...
… (més)
 
Marcat
sagustocox | Hi ha 1 ressenya més | Nov 22, 2011 |

Estadístiques

Obres
6
Membres
29
Popularitat
#460,290
Valoració
½ 4.3
Ressenyes
6
ISBN
13