Rising Petals looks like a wonderful collection of poems. What type of reader did you write the book for?
We are busy with our day-to-day compulsions. We are anxious and fearful about our future. On the other hand, we romance with our remote past - a time of our choice and a form of our choosing. But we are not sure about our present and often miss it too. The book tries to describe our world - its inner and outer - its anxieties and fear, and springs a seed of hope. It’s all about our present. This book is for anybody who wants to get some reprieve from the cat-race, and seeks peace and solace.
How long did it take you to write Rising Petals?
Though the majority ones are very recent, some poems are from different periods of my life. In fact, I wrote one poem among those when I was in school.
What inspired you when writing Rising Petals?
My inspirations have been people, events, objects and nature around me. Dawn to dusk, day to night, land to sea, bells to noise, tramps to elites, places and phenomena - all have inspired me in each line and in each verse of the book. I have described my understanding and feeling in my note at the start of the book, and hopefully, this will inspire the readers to wade through the poems.
Any additional poem books in the works?
I am working on a historical fiction though I plan for my next poem book in the coming months.
How did you come up with the poems in Rising Petals?
These are my reflections, my thoughts wrapped in verses. While emotion and empathy cannot be quantified, readers will be able to match the poems with their stories of life from different perspectives. The poems in the books are organised in the alphabetic order; in fact, my wife had suggested to me for this when I decided to go for the publication.
Did anything stick out as particularly challenging when writing Rising Petals?
Taking the titles from my book, I may describe. Life is a journey in a zoo. At the same time, it’s about creating a story that goes beyond any game. The feeble query about our welfare and renewal may look like a mirage or an anomaly. The hope or desire is like an Indian having coffee in an yacht in an evening while a kiss throwing a pebble and a few trinkets in a blink. We aspire for an X which can be a victory with noise saving our legacy from being unwanted - an offer difficult to ignore. And then, rising petals slowly move away making me alone to stand, struggle and hum!
What do you like to do when not writing?
When I don’t sit to write, I learn from books, people around me, from my work, nature and our history - basically prepare myself to write something.
Where can readers find out more about your work?
My website ashwinirath.com is the place where readers may track the news and updates on my writings and other activities.