Why a poetry book?

I’ve been asked this question so often since I launched my anthology MOOD SWINGS earlier this month that I think it deserves some explaining (if not an explanation!).

I’ve noticed that as my biological clock is merrily ticking on, my age graph and my tolerance levels are growing in inverse directions.

The so-called ‘so much world, so little time’ syndrome has truly kicked in. Time has become even more precious and coveted.

For almost a year now, the kind of bestsellers that I enjoyed reading earlier seem to be testing my patience with their reams of irrelevant descriptions and meandering prose. Of course, there’s still plenty of food for thought… but fiction aka retailed fantasies were never my thing, to begin with.

Of late I find myself gravitating more and more toward short concentrated thought capsules.. the kind that are woven into poetry.

Poetry is my midlife crush. And believe you me midlife crushes give a bigger adrenaline rush than any sloppy teenage mush!

Poetry is a lean mean lyrical machine that dispenses with all the semantic lard prose is destined to be slathered with.

Somehow it seems like a far more efficient use of my reading time.

Poetry’s brevity fascinates me. Its mental acrobatics energizes me.

If fiction is a test match, poetry is 20/20

If fiction is french fries, poetry is caesar salad.

If fiction is a regular brain workout, poetry is HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) – a sharp, crisp, adrenaline-studded version of the avuncular other.

Poetry demands an economy of language where every thought comes at a premium.

Every word must account for its existence.

Every line must justify its presence.

A poem helps me crystallize abstract ideas and thoughts into a symmetrical whole where I don’t waste the reader’s time, I don’t waste my time.

Let’s face it. The sheer volume of choices to tempt a thinking mind today is staggering. But alas, a day has just 24 hours. The result? Shorter attention spans, tighter work schedules, busier lifestyles.

But in all that commitment heap, every mind craves a creative leap.

The answer? Pick up a good poetry book (like MOOD SWINGS of course 😜). You can open it from any page and start reading. There’s a fresh thought on every page.

So unlike fiction, you don’t need to try and remember the back story if you haven’t picked up the book in a while.

Order your ebook or paperback of MOOD SWINGS today!

—Puja Bhakoo, author, MOOD SWINGS