Guest Author Balroop Singh of California.

The Scribbler is most fortunate to have Balroop Singh as our guest this week, agreeing to a 4Q Interview. She lives in California with her family and is originally from India.

Balroop Singh, a doting grandma and a dedicated wife, a former high school teacher and an educationalist always had a passion for writing.  She is a poet, a creative non-fiction writer and a relaxed blogger. She writes about people, emotions and relationships. A self-published author, she has written five books.  She always had a passion for poetry which evoked images before her eyes and carried her far beyond the horizon. She could see the visions of her own poetry while teaching the poems. Her dreams saw the light of the day when she published her first book ‘Sublime Shadows Of Life.’

Balroop Singh has always lived through her heart. She is a great nature lover; she loves to watch birds flying home. The sunsets allure her with their varied hues that they lend to the sky. She can spend endless hours listening to the rustling of leaves and the sound of waterfalls. The moonlight streaming through her garden, the flowers, the meadows and the butterflies cast a spell on her.

Realism and fantasy blend perfectly in her poetry, which highlights the fact that happiness is not a destination but a chasm to bury agony, anguish, grief, distress and move on! No sea of solitude is so deep that it can drown us. Sometimes aspirations are trampled upon, boulders of exploitation and discrimination may block our path but those who tread on undeterred are always successful.

4Q: You have lately received high praise from author Deborah Stevens for your book of poetry – Emerging from Shadows. Please tell us more about this collection and your inspiration.

BS: Poetry is timeless as it carries a profound message, which remains eternally relevant. Poems capture raw emotions most eloquently, sooth our disillusioned minds and leave an everlasting impact on sensitive souls. It is the succinct style of writing through imagery that inspired me to embrace this genre.



Here is an introduction to ‘Emerging From Shadows’:

From darkness into light, from despair onto the wider ways of hope…life oscillates between sunshine and shadows. Emerging from shadows is a choice, which lies dormant, which can be gently inspired by self-talk. Each poem in this book banks on the hope of emerging stronger, saner, positive and resilient. Each poem in this book would talk to you, revealing layers of enclosed emotions. Each poem would divulge a secret path that could lead you into the world of poise and serenity.

When turbulences hit, when shadows of life darken, when they come like unseen robbers, with muffled exterior, when they threaten to shatter your dreams, it is better to break free rather than get sucked by the vortex of emotions.

Let one of the reviewers speak for my poetry:

“Forty poems, composed and curated by the author herself, adorn the book. All the poems, though not related to each other, seem harmonious to me as I finished reading. As if, they are pearls of the same string and, together they exude a feeling that resonates with your mind in more than one way.

Balroop’s poems liberate the mind of the reader from darkness to light. Life, for us, is not a bed of roses. It is a roller coaster ride alternating continuously with highs and lows. The carousel of life concocts love, discord, merriment and strife. Balroop made us understand this eternal truth and guides us to rise above mediocrity. Her poems would make you feel stronger from within, would help you ameliorate the pain and suffering life has thrust upon you, would lead you to have that insight towards self-discovery. There lies the magic of her poetry!

Portraying the philosophy of life in the poetical form, that is what the poet has done in the book. But, so subtle, so beautiful is her approach, that the reader will never feel encumbered. The language is a delight, exuberant bubbles of words rising softly upwards– leaving behind a sillage to cherish for a long time.” 
- -Maniparna (read more at Amazon.com)

An excerpt from my poetry, liked by Cathleen Townsend, another reviewer: 
“I can no longer remain insignificant

Your harrowing hauteur is oppressive

Forgive me for finding my own avenues

My gratitude goes to my spirit.”

This is one of my favorite poems from the book:

OASIS OF PEACE 
Blooming blossoms, whispering wind
Carried me far into the haven of peace

Solitude softly spoke in serene tone,

We welcome weary travelers alone 
Divesting dirty robes of dissent

We revel in the glorious sun

You too can embrace this light,

Just follow it with smiling delight

The light that enlightens the mind

The light that permeates all around

Adds new dimension to thoughts,

Guides us out of those knobby knots

Illumines those innate virtues

When we try to shake them off

In annoyance, in rage, in resentment,

Leisurely hours are wistfully spent

Rejoicing in the new found glee

We sat and shared upon His knee

Palpable peace pervaded all around,

Into which all dismay drowned.

© Balroop Singh

4Q: I’ve visited your blog – Emotional Shadows – (see below for link) and you spoke of teaching, sharing your thoughts and experiences in your pursuit of happiness. Does writing make you happy? How so?

BS: Teaching molded me into a patient, kind and responsible individual and I discovered myself anew when I was placed amongst youngsters who spoke intrepidly and honestly. I stumbled upon my writing talent while I was encouraging them to pen down their thoughts. I was bewildered that I could compose poetry, when challenged to do so. Happiness filtered through those tireless moments of working together in creative writing workshops.

The elation of recording our feelings is so liberating! When we write, we can create our own world of fantasy, we can unlock all the doors, as the keys are in our possession…isn’t it a wonderful feeling?

Writing calms us and leads us to self-discovery. Words become our best friends, teach us tolerance, control our anger and rein our negative thoughts. They slash those emotional walls down, which ward off our progress towards becoming a better person.

All those hurts, the agony and emotional throttling gets assuaged when we pour it out. Healing starts the moment we pen down our thoughts. We feel relieved. We learn to forgive. We rise above human imperfections.

Writing has given me wings. I can fly anytime, anywhere. I often perch on the branches of my favorite trees and can communicate with anyone without any reticence. All those who sit far away, in the comfort of their homes can hear me as I let my voice merge into the clouds that float around, merrily.

4Q: Please share a childhood memory or anecdote.

BS:  Little children like to follow their moms and we were probably too determined not to be left behind. Our moms thought they could slip by while we were playing near the pond outside our grandma’s home. We must be too little as I have heard this story many times but have a faint memory of this incident.

The moment we saw our moms going out, my cousin Debi suggested we must see where they were going. So we ran after them. We were told many times to return home but we were made of sterner stuff and didn’t get deterred by the threats and gestures that we could see. We knew any punishment at grandma’s home was not possible!

They quickened their pace and thought we would return when we wouldn’t see them. We didn’t. Our moms returned home in the afternoon to discover that we were missing and were blamed for being irresponsible. The whole house was searched. My grandma rushed into neighboring houses, hoping we must be playing somewhere.

The big news was conveyed to my uncle, an authoritarian man with haughty demeanor who considered talking to women a waste of time. He was furious and thundered: “These women can’t even take care of two kids!” Only grandma could face his wrath and ordered him to send men all around the village. No success!

Having realized the gravity of the situation, my uncle took his bike out and told grandma that the kids must have drowned in the stream. Mumbling some obscenities about the women of the house, he drove away to request the local authorities to stop the discharge of water so that the bodies could be retrieved.

No one could have ever seen such a delight at the face of my uncle as he returned home with us, chatting away to glory! My grandma ran to the storehouse to carry round blocks of Gur (jaggery) to be distributed to all those who came to congratulate! Nobody was interested in our story and who saved us!

Within hours, my uncle announced that we should go back to our own homes next morning as he had had enough of our adventures!

4Q: What’s next for Balroop Singh in writing? Travelling?

BS: My next poetry book ‘Echoes Within’ is almost ready. I am looking for a suitable cover.

Travelling has been my passion though I have never made any bucket list. When I look back, one memory looms large and that is the wish to visit Switzerland. Though it had faded away as I grew up, it is returning now with passionate reminders.

Thank you Balroop for taking the time to answer our questions. For you readers, you can learn more about the talented author here:

https://balroop2013.wordpress.com/

Let’s connect: https://twitter.com/BalroopShado https://www.facebook.com/pages/Emotional-Shadows/151387075057971

https://plus.google.com/u/0/+BalroopSinghsrao/posts https://www.pinterest.com/balroops/ https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7340810.Balroop_Singh

https://www.amazon.com/Balroop-Singh/e/B00N5QLW8U/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0