From Waves, I Rise: A Collection of Poems

By Niharika Ghosh

"i grieve 

the death of my childhood 

i bury the girl who read books in blanket forts

and sang in public without fear 

• Language: English
• Publisher: New Degree Press
• Release date: Aug 30, 2021
• ISBN: 9781637303702

Book preview

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Reviews for From Waves, I Rise

[Madras Bookguru · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This poetry collection, which I accidentally found on Scribd, is a unique blend of mature, practical, soul-searching, and innocent poems that hits you hard yet leaves you with hope.

It is divided into five sections: nature, childhood, hurting, the dark side of loving, and healing.

In Nature, the poems focus on tranquillity, peacefulness, and nature’s serene beauty minus chaos, both mental and physical.

The first poem, ‘The Nature of Freedom’, captures perfectly the free-soul mindset of the poet: I am hidden; I am lost; I am free

In ‘Children of the Sun’, the poetess throws in a different perspective on humans being children of the sun and moon and how we respond to days and nights: The heat of the day would be our blanket; Our eyes would glimmer with the depth of night

‘Through the Woods’ delves deeper into the wilderness and its true beauty with human footmarks: Signs of human life peppered throughout the wilderness; Deeper and deeper I go, paths turned to beds of leaves
‘Spring’ and ‘Butterfly’ are other poems that are short yet reflect natural artistry.

In Childhood, the poet examines what it is like to grow up and the in-between phases of childhood and adulthood with her intimate poetic touch.

‘Mermaids’, the first poem in this section, is woven with loss and a tinge of sadness from an early adolescence: Everyone knows mermaids are merely dreams; I was a girl that just wanted to be a mermaid; but she drowned

‘Balloons’ is one of my favourite poems; it is a physically painful poem that is raw: A thousand balloons I shall tie to my hands; Blood drips down my wrist as the strings cut deep … for at least the sky will welcome me

In ‘Sweet Insomniac’, there is more of a self-assurance of safety in the darkness that engulfs the mind and the matter: Sleep now, let the darkness wrap you in her arms; Sleep now, let the darkness cradle you in her warmth, she will keep you safe

Another abbreviated yet affective poem is ‘Grief’, which pays a tribute to the lost childhood: I grieve the death of my childhood … I cremate my innocence along with my dreams

In Hurting, the poems become intense and tough to digest as the topics of discussion range from sexual assault to substance abuse to trauma, anxiety, and depression.

‘Broken Mirrors’ informs the readers how trauma can break and jolt one’s life: Broken glass and shattered mirrors my face split into a thousand pieces; But she fades and splits apart just as lightning breaks the sky

The poem ‘Waterfall’ culminates in a huge cry of tears as years of stacked-up pain, loss, and hurt burst out: It amazes me how clearly I can speak through a waterfall of tears; I learned to cry so quietly that the world would never hear; I turned away, hiding my tears behind the waterfall

In ‘It’s Fine’, the author gives us a lived-in experience of a sexual abuse episode that is scary and dark: “It’s fine-I am clean!” he said as he ran past my protests; … I begged … an told myself everything’s fine

‘Shower’ and ‘Smoke’ discuss substance abuse hands-on, leaving marks and scars that will haunt you for life even after sobriety: The hot water washes your mark … feel them lift off my skin like a cloud/Inhale … Exhale … Once you enter the smoke, you can never leave it

In The Dark Side of Loving, the narrator explores the broad theme of young, immature infatuations and passionate love and their aftermath of failure, heartache, and suffering.

‘My Sun’ is all about how love can be blinding and suffocating in all its youthful glory: I used to think you were the sun; Only too late did I see how you suffocated me; Little did I know the sun is blinding

‘Young Love’ is a poem on physical intimacy and desire: The warm smells of her body fill my nose…; I feel her sex with my own desire; I find comfort in our proximity

In ‘Lust or Love’, one can see lots of confusion and confrontation rather than clarity on the form of relationship in modern youth: Was it lust or love? If he loved me, would he have stolen my heart and left me with broken pieces? How could that be love?

‘Beautiful’ brings out the beastliness and manliness that abuse a woman’s body and leave it shattered: You called me beautiful; But if I was so beautiful, why did you leave me ashamed and alone … in bruises and scars
In Healing, the poems speak on learning/unlearning from the past through self-love and self-analysis and seeing a future that is filled with hope and promise.

The first poem in this section, ‘Ripples’, is full of positivity and motivation as one heals to see the transformation within oneself: Let this be a reminder: we are not glass … we are not ice … we are water … we heal after we are broken

In ‘Piano’, the soul-searching after the hurt leads to harmony as it rings a melody tune that soothes our heart: A voice calling … melody and harmony birthing a lamenting tune … until the piano and I flow together as one

‘Letting Go’ focuses on the art of moving on and not delving into the past to have a better future: Let go of your regrets, of your anxiety … and let the world fall away

‘Thunder and Lightning’ is both thought-provoking and empowering, as it gives strength to make our journey a spirited one: Just as thunder follows lightning, I will speak … and from the ashes I rise, reborn a new flame

In the final poems of ‘Life Lessons’, ‘A New Dawn’, and ‘History’, the teen poet makes a strong statement that let bygones be bygone as change is the only constant, with time being a great healer.

What made me write this long-form review of just a 60-page short poetry collection is sheer admiration for the author’s maturity and her personal journey of ups and downs that is well put through her lyrical prowess.

An absolute must-read for all contemporary poetry lovers who dream and hope for better literary works.