If poetry is not your go to read, this may not be your regular weekend read but ‘The Spell of The Rain’ by Geetha Ravichandran is difficult not to finish once you start. As the author herself says, “It is a chronicle of the shades and nuances of ordinary things.” Yes it is often the ordinariness of our daily lives that bring out surprises, transforming the mundane to something absolutely magical.
Speaking about what inspired Geetha Ravichandran to start this anthology, her second collection of poems after Arjavam (2022), she said, “The book was born out of an amalgam of perceptions and experiences. It is a chronicle of the shades and nuances of ordinary things. Looking closely, listening deeply, to the sights and sounds around us — the book is a product of attentiveness. Also, very often we find a spark, a glimmer in the lives and struggles of people we meet, waiting to be transformed into a story.”
The author calls this thin volume “a gentle meditation” and to me it was the call to stop by life and smell the wild roses in teh clearing. A deep dabble on the passage of time as it “continually re-calibrates our lives, our memories, our relationship with our surroundings,” as the poet Ranjit Hoskote explains in his endorsement to the book.
Divided into three segments, in many ways this book is also a reflection of the poet’s literary journey – impressions, memories flashing across and turning them into lyrical undertones. In Ravichandran’s own words, “My personal journey as a writer has come with its own set of challenges. Lack of time and hectic schedules sometimes pushed writing down in the list of priorities. There have been frustrating moments and many blank sheets. So, scribbling down impressions, memories, flashes just keeping the words flowing helps. Also, I cut across genres, writing short pieces on the lighter side of life, an occasional short story, even contemplative articles. Haibun is another form I have taken to recently. I am into wide-spectrum, desultory reading and for me it’s like a nutritional supplement.” And as ‘The Spell of The Rain’ casts its spell around you, it is but impossible to note how beautifully she weaves history, biography, social commentary and even natural sciences in some of the compositions.
In many ways ‘The Spell of The Rain’ is not just a triumph of a poet but also reflects the coming of age of Indian writing in English. As Ravichnadran says, “English language has adapted to the unique Indian zeitgeist, enriched itself by the works of authors writing in regional languages. This may be due to the fact that most Indians are trilingual. The voices of contemporary poets and writers reach out to readers across the globe due to online platforms, ebooks and social media.”
