Book Review: Growing Up (A Book of Poems) by Ruhee Advani

Breaking up all stereotype barriers, ‘Growing Up’ by Ruhee Advani is a special collection of poems for those who still miss their higher school days and early college life. It is a short book – divided into two – but still consists of over seventy heart-touching poems. As the title says, the book is more focused on growing up, especially of teenage phase, thus, for the same reason the book is divided into two age groups namely thirteen to fifteen years and sixteen to eighteen years.

The poems are short and at times medium in length. From the poems it is evident that the author went through mood swings – at times she is concerned about her mother, while some time she is worried about being alone, and questioning the world, which is more on deviating her from her chores that emanates from her heart and soul. At teenage, we are often more grappled with a complaining attitude, but that is the time when we think of ourselves more than of other things. Poems like Friendless, Soothing sorrow, Mixed beliefs, Crashing down, and Slipping away fit well for this proposition.

Most of the poems seem a bit dark and sound melancholy. Despite that they are perfect to sooth your ailing heart and mood swings. Many have found this book an escape from reality or say the hedonistic world. The charm factor in all the poems is great; they not only are contemporary in nature but also high on emotional intensity. Like many, you may feel reeling with mixed emotions. This is one such book that you will not be closing forever – you know that you need this, like tonic, from time to time. The best one, according to our hearts, is – The Parcel of My Memories:

Parcel up my past

Wrap my memories

The Parcel is painful

It hurts my heart

It pricks my soul

The parcel of my memories

And then I leave

The parcel on my shelf

But its presence disturbs me

So I come home one day

And open up the parcel

Cry a little, laugh a little, till

It all becomes a part of me

Again

And then I’m free

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