My debut review of a wonderful collection of poems by dear friend and accomplished poetess Maaya.
Sitting up late with “Shimmering Chimes” was a real treat – a shimmering, glittering one. Maaya Dev's poetry ensured the transition to the next day, without my noticing it – such was her mastery over language and the poesy of her words.
Her poems evoke images and feeling in equal measure. She comes across as a warm, tender, sometimes tad lonely writer who is passionate about words.
Her complete devotion to Lord Krishna is evident in the many poems this book contains, in his praise -
“There I see You! I see me
Ah! I see me in you!
Hare Krishna!!” she surmises in “ Hare Krishna”, the very first poem in her collection. “Krishna my Lord....!!”.
“Sat Chit Ananda-Bliss” and “Divine Transformation” are the other Krishna-centric poems where she sings praise to her favourite deity.
Ah! I see me in you!
Hare Krishna!!” she surmises in “ Hare Krishna”, the very first poem in her collection. “Krishna my Lord....!!”.
“Sat Chit Ananda-Bliss” and “Divine Transformation” are the other Krishna-centric poems where she sings praise to her favourite deity.
That nothing can quell her spirit is evident in her words ,
"Though the destined journey can't be impeded /
when ability beyond disability reigns” in her poem “Ability beyond Disability”.
when ability beyond disability reigns” in her poem “Ability beyond Disability”.
Sheer imagery runs through “Confessions of a leaf”. Travails of a writer are brought out in “Few More Rejections”. Her loneliness shyly peeps through in “Symphonies of Soliloquy”, wherein she says:
“You are my eternal desire
When you look and smile
I catch myself jealous
A tear drop falls and says
You don’t belong to me”.
When you look and smile
I catch myself jealous
A tear drop falls and says
You don’t belong to me”.
A poet’s tryst with the illusory comes to the fore in “Unrealistic Glimpses”that states ;
“I am surrendering
my reality for a lie
I am in love with”
my reality for a lie
I am in love with”
That writing is her life is evident in several poems– “Birth of a Poem”, “World of Words”, “Twinkle Twinkle My Little poems”.
She plays with rhymes in “Transient” –
“Memories may ruffle
Tragedies do muffle
Few hopes go shuffle”
Tragedies do muffle
Few hopes go shuffle”
By definition, a poem expresses what language cannot—whether it is hope, despair, success, failure, alienation or love . All sixty poems in “Shimmering Chimes” bear testimony to this. . I read the whole book in one sitting, and found that the end came too soon. I look forward to future projects by Maaya. I highly recommend this book. Grab a copy of this inspiring collection today.
