KAHIHI

A long journey finally saw a halt or rather should I say it’s the beginning now. Amidst the phases of losing hope to giving up writing to leading a mediocre IT professional’s life to just being a blogger, I somehow sailed on a thin leaf of hope navigating against pessimistic oceanic currents of the publishers who dread from publishing poetry.

Lines that I had penned from my school days till I got into employment, fortunately did not find their way to dustbin.

My book, Silent Moments of Melancholy, was published on 27th July – much to my delight and swirling emotions that did not find their way through my eyes – I controlled. The moment I held my book in my hands is indubitably the most cherished moment of my life. I may never know what a woman feels when she delivers her child. However, I am sure I felt a similar emotion as close to a mother who gets first glimpse of her newborn.

The joy still stirs in me.

The voyage to getting published was tiring and frustrating. Irritating at times. Nobody accepts poetry. The richest form of literature has lost its value. The publishers who ushered in with a hope to publish my poetry eventually slaughtered me under cruel axes of proofreading, printing, promotions & marketing charges, etc and with no royalty. I was asked upto sums of Rs. 80,000 to have my book published – irony.

Hard work and dedication pays – I learnt it early in school, and I devoutly practice is too.

Alethia Publishing, a start-up publishing house in Pune, picked up my book for publishing – the traditional way – no money asked, no upfront charges, and a transparent approach in all transactions. I felt elated. I was convinced about what I practiced over years.

With my book, Silent Moments of Melancholy, I hope to revive the lost glory of poetry. I sincerely wish that poetry is raised to the levels of accepted & respected genre once again. That it is not looked at as a means to make money – it is always better to have a profession turned into a passion, and not a passion turned into profession.