“Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested”– this quote of Francis Bacon immediately came to my mind after I finished reading Balroop Singh’s latest collection of poems, “Timeless Echoes”.
I was quite busy for a couple of months and during those days, whenever I managed some “me time”, I used to read a few poems from the book. I could have read the book all in a go; the poems are neither big nor complicated, but I wanted to savour their myriad flavours, wished them to linger in my mind. That’s the way Balroop composed her poems, as Bacon had said, her book is meant to be chewed and digested. [Balroop’s poems are a pleasure to read, I already know that as I follow her blog regularly and, have reviewed her previous book Emerging From Shadows.]
The poems, according to the poet herself, are inspired by life. Life, as we see it, feel it from different perspectives. Some hues of life change from time to time, but eventually, their changing shades are etched in our hearts. Balroop has given words to those shades, those emotions of life.
Each passing moment of life is a lesson in itself, as Balroop says in Moments That Echo
Each moment an experience in itself
We grow in its glow to wend and win
Divesting the ignorance of our thoughts
Solace echoing within!
The deep emotions of a woman’s mind have been reflected in another poem, Echoes Within
My workplace may be chaotic,
My work is erratically endless
Rewards may not be instantaneous
But I have won the greatest Grammy.
I am a mother
In my hands is the future
And the pride of my family
My world revolves around you.
In the poem Yearning, I got the flavour of Wordsworth as Balroop expressed her unadulterated love for Mother Nature and her desire to be a part of her.
Let me be a cloud that floats freely
Wandering wherever I want to be
Smiling at humans hushing their desires
Of absolute freedom!
I can go on citing lines for each poem is unique; they speak about love, life, small happiness and worries we experience in the journey of life. The reader at once can feel the poet’s passion and a strange feeling of oneness, a kind of intangible yet conceivable conduit that makes her/him comfortable. It’s not always easy to “enjoy” a book, but Balroop’s writing has that quality. I recommend the book to all poetry lovers, it’s a treat for your soul.
About the Author
Balroop Singh, a former teacher and an educationalist always had a passion for writing. The world of her imagination has a queer connection with realism. She could envision
the images of her own poetry while teaching the poems. Her dreams saw the light of the day when she published her first book: ‘Sublime Shadows Of Life.’ Now, she is a poet, a non-fiction writer and a blogger. This is her sixth book.
Balroop Singh has always lived through her heart. She is a great nature lover; she loves to watch birds flying home. The sunsets allure her with the varied hues that they lend to the sky. She can spend endless hours listening to the rustling leaves and the sound of waterfalls. The moonlight streaming through her garden, the flowers, the meadows, the butterflies cast a spell on her. She lives in San Ramon, California.
very nice book, great riview.. thank you
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Beautiful review Maniparna. I agree that reading poetry in small doses helps to enjoy the essence better. I loved the different flavours of the poems and must say that the choice of the book cover is apt- just as soothing as Balroop’s words.
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I like the quotes you have chosen, consider it added to my list.
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Thanks…:-) I think you’ll like it too…
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nice one!
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Thank you!
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Beautiful review! Congratulations to Balroop! Thank you, Maniparna!
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Thank you Vashti, I appreciate your visit and wishes. 🙂
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You’re welcome, my friend. 😀 xx
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Thanks to you too, Vashti. I really appreciate your visit here… 🙂
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It’s my pleasure. 🙂
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🙂
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Wonderfully reviewed with poems striking a chord and gelling effortlessly into the reader’s mind.
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Thank you Vishal, I am delighted to note that the excerpts Mani has chosen struck a chord in some hearts.
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Thank you, Vishal. Balroop’s poems make one think and introspect… 🙂
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What a wholehearted review of Balroop’s new book, Mani. You made some great observations on how the poems are tied to nature and the small happinesses that we experience in life, and that strange feeling of oneness. Life can has its ups and downs, as Balroop’s books reminds us, we always need to appreciate each moment as not only is each moment an experience, it is an experience to remember with our minds and most importantly hearts.
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Thank you Mabel, for hopping over to read the review and share your thoughts. You have rightly got the essence of my poems, they are about life and how you approach it. This collection focuses on those thoughts and desires that we choose to ignore but they come to the surface as reminders that need to be heard.
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Thank you, Mabel. As Balroop has already said, you have gotten the essence of her writing through the review. Your in-depth comment on the book is really appreciated… 🙂
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Wonderful review! I’ve got Timeless Echoes on my kindle and looking forward to savoring Balroop’s latest collection. 🙂
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Thank you Bette, I would look forward to your view about it. 🙂
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I’m sure you would enjoy the book, Bette. Thanks for visiting my virtual home, my blog… 🙂
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Good review Maniparna
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Reblogged this on Stevie Turner and commented:
Lovely review on ‘Scattered Thought’s blog for Balroop Singh’s ‘Timeless Echoes’ book of poetry.
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Thank you for the share Stevie, much appreciated!
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You’re welcome.
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Thanks a lot for the reblog, Stevie. I really appreciate your visit on Scattered Thoughts… 🙂
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You’re welcome.
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Pingback: Book Review: Timeless Echoes by Balroop Singh – Emotional Shadows·
Reblogged this on Emotional Shadows and commented:
Maniparna’s reviews are a delight! Her eclectic prose and poetry would allure you! I am elated at her beautiful words!
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Thanks a lot for the reblog. I’m honoured… 🙂
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I am extremely thankful to you for such a beautiful review of my book dear Mani…your choice of words and excerpts, the quote that you have used to describe my book has taken me over to the moon! I am glad you have savoured the poems slowly…they can be read again and again and I too derive solace from some of them whenever I read them. “Their changing shades are etched in our hearts. Balroop has given words to those shades, those emotions of life.”…love that description!
Many thanks!
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Thank you, Balroop. It was definitely a happy reading and I loved it! Wish you the best with your writing and the books… 🙂 ❤
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Have you read the poems of Rupi Kaur? Would love to your take on them.
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No. Can you please share any link or something?
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Here’s a link-https://www.theodysseyonline.com/16-rupi-kaur-poems
She mainly writes on her IG handle. I don’t get the appeal but everybody else is ‘seemingly’ going gaga over her poems. 🙂
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😀 I’ll read and let you know my honest feelings…
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Would appreciate that 🙂
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Good ☝️
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Thank you… 🙂
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