It’s almost midnight as I draft this and in my head, I’m debating over whether or not I should watch a show and have a snack before I sleep. I have classes tomorrow and I most definitely have a lot to catch up on. That’s how most days are spent- classes in the morning, afternoons for getting back home and then resisting to click that next episode button after every thirty minutes. Evenings and nights, I spend getting myself to follow a discipline by studying and in case I decide to write I search for all my notes scattered in notebooks, in pockets of the jacket I wear everyday and then finally in my phone. And yes, I do get a reward if I make it to the desk with all of this or I fall asleep sooner if everything is related to the same subject/topic.
I did something similar today, it’s less than a week before I go online and press publish on yet another little thing I’ve curated. I certainly feel ashamed of calling these a book but that’s the closest category these projects fit into. Anyways, I remember I started working on these poems in April. Well I’m introducing to you what you’re about to read, so fasten your seatbelts ladies and gentlemen…
THE THEME
A few crazy nights ago I posted a cover on my Instagram because I spent a few hours the night before, making it. Didn’t really fit the vibe I wanted going on with the eBook cover(a poster kinda vibe), so I just posted it and explained the theme I intended to set with the work.
B-15 is named after my roll number in college, but not just that because that sounds silly. I couldn’t help but get over the fact that B-15 was the largest iceberg on the planet. I read the usual articles, Wikipedia pages, blogs and stuff about it to know more about the journey of this iceberg. In no more than a week I was reading about environmental issues, the ozone layer, impact of icebergs and glaciers on the climate changes and everything else. I was definitely not writing about all of these things, considering the fact that I had just began to write a little better. But I knew I had to present this work to others and in that aspect I incorporated as many things as I could. Names were a big part. I divided the overall work into two themes and it is what I describe as ‘calving from adolescence into the ocean of adulthood’. And then you will eventually encounter a sentence or two about how like an iceberg, we all could be destined to a destruction or invite one or maybe just stand still- let the achievements be lauded and efforts be known.
THE WORDS
Although I began working on these poems in April this year, all of these ideas had been around for a while that time. Some one year, some a couple days. And there are some which I wrote today in a nice cafe. The intention with words and things I’ve got to say is not very weighted upon. Whether it has to be a certain kind or not. I’m still trying to get used to recognizing inspiration and grasping the ideas in a way that they convey on the paper- the same thing I thought of. Not let the real message be lost in twisting the tales in metaphors or long lines in order to make it sound nice.
THE LIFE
And now emphasizing on the part where I said I’m only getting started to get used to writing and expressing myself through words. Moreover poetry is delicate, I’ve had moments where I lost complete focus from subject matter as I write stanzas and big poems. My intent with writing this or publishing this is to be able to look back at how I started to live and make art instead of being locked in my room hoping for it turn up. So I’m hoping the same thing for you, live your life as though with moments you’re creating a piece of art. Take these poems out on a walk, sit on park bench or at a coffee shop, on the pavement or on the back bench of the class, and give it a read. You’ll probably complete it in one sitting, a few minutes, or not complete it ever. Either way, I recommend this as an experience and not so much of a traditional-big-socialmedia-poetry-book sort of thing.
An experience. A shift from the usual. Have a good one.
Siddhesh.