Book Reviews.

Links as below:

When I Fell in Love with Life, by Geetha Paniker

Blog: https://abookwormsmusing.wordpress.com/2016/03/17/book-review-when-i-fell-in-love-with-life-musings-of-a-cancer-survivor-by-geetha-paniker/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.in/review/R7WSFNAXAHBMO/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1534528303

Silence and Sound, by Namitha K

Blog: https://abookwormsmusing.wordpress.com/2016/03/10/book-review-silence-and-sound-by-namitha-k/

Amazon: http://www.amazon.in/gp/customer-reviews/RY02JQE89YCGO/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1572102182

Songs of a Solitary Tree, by Arun M Sivakrishna

Blog: https://abookwormsmusing.wordpress.com/2016/03/17/book-review-songs-of-a-solitary-tree-graphical-verses-of-sublime-snippets-by-arun-m-sivakrishna/

Amazon: http://www.amazon.in/gp/customer-reviews/R3APK6P8XPK9RW/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1572104249

Thank you for the inspiration that your book provides, and reconfirming the belief that little things that matter matter the most. :) Namitha's book of poetry, there were quite a few I could relate to, and so I enjoyed it more. I liked the depth in Arun's collection, though I loved the other book more. Even the photographs in all three were wonderful. For some reason, I'm not able to see the Amazon review of your book as public yet. 

Vinay Leo R. @ A Bookworm's Musing

Leaf-fall.

The fallen leaves, they dry up and when I place them in my hands, they are drier than anything else. If I take a few leaves and close my fist over them, they are just shattered, I can feel them and I know that once what was a complete form is only tiny fragments of what it was. I think of it on a tree, first just a tender shoot, the soft green of spring and life; then it matures to a beautiful foliage of colors. I hold a falling leaf in my hand and wish I could breathe life into them, but I know I cannot change what is and the cycle of life. It knows it has to fall off invariably to make a carpet below that would be tread upon, and with a sigh lies there knowing it is still useful in some way. A tiny soft sprout of the leaf with the passing of time gracefully turns into different colors of life and then liberates itself in a unique way, sliding down in the breeze as gentle as feathers.

In every fallen leaf is a soul,
that sighs as it falls,
with a pain of letting go,
a yearning in the heart,
gracefully glides down,
it piles up making a tapestry,
in anticipation of a new spring.

© Geetha Paniker

In silence with sunset.

The evening sky ushers in a palette of magical colors, with an array of clouds expressing its emotions. When the last rays of the sun kiss the land, the blues and grey melt into beautiful hues that blend with the other. The trees and buildings create a lovely silhouette against the colorful sky. She notices that except for the call of the birds roosting, there is an amicable silence, that even slows down her hammering heart into a melodious rhythm filling her with a tranquil peace. Her shattered soul fills with colors of the sky easing her mind. 

She loved sunsets for the very fact that it gave hope to her. She felt there is something beautiful about sunsets, and found it more fascinating that every sunset looked splendid. She chuckled thinking that some sunsets are romantic and some very philosophical. It is very intriguing and amazing to know that the affect of it is different with people. She wanted to travel far and wide watching sunsets and the beauty of nature, just to capture those moments of life.

She felt the onset of the golden hour where the sun set bringing forth a softer color of red, yellow and orange in the sky. She had the two words to describe the day's sunset: the radiant beauty. The sun's splendor delights the beholder's eye....a magnificent gift from nature.She felt as if the colors and intensity of the light is just enough to calm you,   a great big romantic, an inspirational fire in the sky. It looked like a powerful symphony quieting down, becoming more emotional and beautiful as it dies down. She felt  it is a perfect companion waving goodbye to her, one she knew is   leaving but  filled with the confidence that she will see again.

Sunset is like silence of true love,
in a fusion of magical colors,
cares and hurts slipping through,
the grey and blues mingled,
with many emotions in,
picturesque gallery of the heart,
deluging  colors of the soul,
creating a landscape of passion.

©Geetha Paniker

Whispers of the sky.

The evening sky was blue adorned by an array of small, white clouds. The beauty of the setting sun was breathtaking. The sun's orange and yellow started mingling with the blue of the sky and it reflected a vast contrast of colors. The clouds looked like it was parading the sky in a beautiful formation and it felt like watching a screen slowly changing colors. It was truly  a beautiful sight that made her miss her breath. She felt for a moment that everything was still and the effect of the sunlight in the sky made it look like a painting. It mesmerized her.She stood there quietly amazed at the beautiful work on the canvas of the sky. She felt a gentle breeze around her and the whispers of the fading sun. 

The birds huddled with its loved ones knowing the day was coming to an end. Two pigeons were flying in the sky as if they were teasing each other. She watched the clouds changing its hues and the blue sky was streaked with a resplendent sunset bringing warmth to her heart and soul. The sky was filled with hues of orange and yellow. The cloud cover did the magic of the evening with a bash of colors. As a child, she had always loved to be with nature. She longed to travel far and wide, but at that moment she was overjoyed at the magical rendezvous with a beautiful sunset that captivated her heart, banishing all the scars. The time she spent with the sunrises and sunsets taught her to always look forward for a magic in the new day.

Solitude is labyrinthine.

Time alone in solitude is an undeniable lure for the soul, some time alone in  the mountains, a beach or near a river or maybe reading a book, writing or listening to music. She had dreamed of being free, serene and content being on her own, just all by herself......that time solitude was so elusive. She had longed for solitude. She felt it was a mirage that enticed all, the fact that no one is alone when surrounded by people. She suddenly felt she was all alone just like the sun in the sky bereft of clouds and the birds; only a hue of pale orange was seen. Her gaze went up to the evening sky and she found that the sun was alone, no birds flying across nor the clouds that adorned the sky. For a second,  she felt the sky understood her.

She knew solitude was just a refuge from her inner turmoils and the emptiness she felt in her core. Loneliness was  not chosen by her, but it was something imposed on, manifesting itself as a feeling of isolation and emptiness. Loneliness comes in waves. One moment you feel fine, and the solitude brings you peace. The next moment the quiet hurts. Emptiness is what remains when loneliness recedes. You don’t feel emptiness, you know it. You know that something is missing, but you don’t know what until that vacant space is filled. She knew it would get filled eventually. She knew in the core that all that she held close was just drifting away and it was the irony of passing time that brought it forth. She was happy in the mere fact that she held them close to her heart. She looked at the sky hoping that the next day would bring her an evening sky that expressed a lot of her own untold emotions and thoughts.

The magic cloak of time.

Mountains, mist, tree and clouds allured her soul. It captured her moments and movements. The mysterious cloak of mist faded away bringing into view the slope of the hill with a tree under an overcast sky and it brought forth a bag of mixed emotions. Sometimes like the thick clouds, the heavy heart too did need to let out a little water. A man was like a tree; be it uphill or downhill; it bore the storm and sun alike like the mountains.

She went down the steps, from her balcony to her favorite spot where newly born wildflowers were glowing with colorful butterflies fluttering around it, that came in search of its nectar.  She gazed at the view of the entire valley below, covered in the magic cloak of the mist. She could see the  big hills and water glistening in the lake, as the mist began to clear.  The background of the view contained many overlapping mountains; with lots of clouds playing a touch and go game.

She felt the hills were pristine and she stood there drinking it all in, listening to gentle breeze blowing in softly. In every step, she could feel the dew on the soft grass and the tweet of the birds, were music to her ears. She loved every bit of the hills. She longed to disappear into the mist forever.

A stab of love.

Looking at the sky she thought to herself that the quote, "Sunset is like the first stab of love," was very true. She had always believed in a love that was beyond everything. She wistfully pondered on it - a love that was beyond any touch, words or any promises. A love where the eyes conveyed everything that lay untold in the very core of the heart, soul and mind. She wondered watching the changing evening sky from the colors of the sunset evening sky to the twilight sky, until darkness set it....if there was a love like that beyond everything else.....just the true ecstasy of loving and being loved beyond all touches and words. She felt the sky expressed everything to her.

The sky was ablaze with changing colors of yellow, orange, peach, purple and pink till the twilight curtain came down. She was in a state of euphoria seeing the vast expanse of the sky in a riot of beautiful colors with expressions of her soul written all over it. As she stood gazing at the sky, she couldn't help wondering at the perfect blend of the sun and the sky, where they merged with the clouds to burst into a blaze of colors - a fiery orange to pearly pinks. The very fact that love was and is always presented in a whole range of colors hit her suddenly.- the sensuous blue to the melancholic grey.

When the twilight curtain faded away bringing in the darkness and the twinkling winking start, she realized that there was a deep rooted part of her soul that understood the connection between self-sacrifice and love. By giving so freely of herself, more than anyone could ever ask, she felt that the true language of love,  is  best spoken without words.

Splash of emotions.

The first flush of sunrise across the sky, with golden yellow hued rays  kissed the ocean with the same loving care of a child. These soft rays that should have brought warmth to a new day, but somewhere inside her she felt a pang of something drifting away from her. The red sun peeped through the clouds just like an angry child  hiding away from the mother. It filled the sky with a reddish yellow and splashed the clouds with a riot of colors. It was bright and mesmerizing as if inviting her to plunge into the colors and just disappear.

 The breathtaking display of the radiant colors made her transfixed in its beauty. She wished from her heart to just walk over the shimmering ocean and touch the sun rising from the horizon. It was as if all her emotions were sprayed across the sky in minute details. The sky resembled a prism and all the colors blend perfectly into the other. The sun, like a  mischievous child  peeked out of the clouds and it's brilliant rays began to warm her heart.  She marveled at the glistening reflection on the ocean and a thrilling emotion of awe swept over her. The brilliant orange yellow yolk sun spilled across the clouds;  she walked back with a smile and a twinkle in her eyes.

The colors of passion.

She gazed at the evening sky with a gnawing ache in her soul. Her eyes drifted to the horizon, as the sky turned yellowish orange and  a sharp shooting pain spread through her. The sun turned into a pinkish red disappearing from her view. As she watched it she felt a stabbing sense of loss, though she knew it would rise again from the horizon. She felt it was an oozing wound bleeding in the sky. The beauty of the sunset intensified the pain in her heart further.

From where she stood, she had a beautiful view of the sun dipping behind the terrace of the adjacent building. The sky was awash and ablaze with colors of passion spreading across the sky. She told herself, "If passion had a color, this was it." She felt a churning in her tummy and feeling of a flame burst out inside her. The sun had dipped out pouring out its hot pinks, peaches and reds into the clouds. A warm sensation spread through her veins as she saw the birds flying across  whispering to one another in a hush. It was a magical moment of beauty and warmth with a fire of passion reflecting across the sky.

Mesmerized she watched  the departing sun dye the heavens a bright orange. The sky slowly turns crimson, deepens into a peach and then lightens into a soft pink before turning into a majestic purple signaling twilight and then enveloped her   in darkness. Before she could register the darkness  stars appeared and winked at her  as though they shared the same emotions. Not long after, a gentle breeze enveloped  her  in a silent caress.