"As if eternity had shrunk
Enclosed in the twosome souls,
to last and yet to part
to remember, move on and long..."
Intimations: Poetry in the Light of the Mind's Eye by Venilla Rajaguru Trafford Publishing
book review by Michael Radon
"As if eternity had shrunk
Enclosed in the twosome souls,
to last and yet to part
to remember, move on and long..."
Broken up into three subheadings of lifescape, lovescape, and blindscape, the author and poet compiles a selection of her poetry that blends modern emotion and the wisdom of history. The theme of the mind's eye is also present throughout, offering the perspective of sudden clarity or hindsight in relation to moments of extreme emotional turmoil. The "lifescape" and "lovescape" sections are easy enough to classify by covering the familiar poetic topics of personal hardship and the ups and downs of romantic feelings. Where the poet covers truly interesting ground is in the third section of "blindscape," which deals both literally with the subject of blindness as well as the troubles of a more metaphorical blind eye to serious and spiritual matters.
By combining old and new as well as eastern and western sensibilities, the author uses a voice that is distinctly hers while still upholding the tenets of the great poets that have come before. Her life experiences shine through in the perspective and inspiration for her poems, and her education and passion for poetry are evident where the structure and the word choices are concerned. The language of her poems is precise, with the kinds of flourishes one expects from strong poetry without becoming lost in a tangle of metaphors or excessively dense vocabulary. The lyrical styling is worth reading and re-reading to pick up on subtle context clues that can be missed at first, giving these already enjoyable poems additional life on repeat visits. Fans of the style of classic style of poetry will be delighted with the compositions in this book while also being able to relate with their very 21st-century sensibilities.