New Delhi, March 8 Written against the backdrop of the global pandemic, Nikita Gill's new collection, "Where Hope Comes From" (Trapeze) shines a light into the darkness as we begin our journey back to hope.
Weaving words that explore our collective trauma, her poetry takes us on a journey through the five stages of grief to the five stages of hope through the life cycle of a star.
The collection features her most popular poems to date "Love in the Time of Coronavirus" and "How to be Strong", alongside new material and beautiful watercolour illustrations.
"In the year 2020," Gill writes in a Note in the book, "a devastating pandemic has wreaked havoc on our lives. No human has been left untouched by the devastation and the chaos that coronavirus has brought, and in this feeling of uncertainty we are united. I am writing to you from the past."
"Still in the middle of this pandemic, I was told that I was high-risk; I was thousands of miles away from my loved ones, worry for them consuming my every waking moment; I have found myself more alone than I have ever felt before.
"And then . . . people we loved started dying and we could not say goodbye. All of this while we were living in one of the most politically polarised and divisive times in living history peaceful protests for racial justice, fighting against racism and police brutality, were wilfully misconstrued by people to suit their own political agendas, causing further chaos in a heart-breaking time.
"All sources of hope now shattered, I realised that this was the year I had to rebuild hope from scratch, and to do that I needed to find the source. The good thing about loneliness is that it holds more answers than the warmth and chatter in crowded places that offer kind distractions do. So I did what I knew best. I wrote poems, mantras, affirmations, reasons to live. I learned how to honour despair so I could make way for happiness. And I also realised that I was not alone in this deep chasm of sadness.
"So many people were there with me. Perhaps even you.
"We may not know each other. We may never meet. But if you chance upon this book, I want you to know that no matter what you are going through, no matter how big and deep and painful those feelings are, you are not alone," Gill writes.
What better beacon of hope can there be? If you, or someone you know is mourning the loss of a loved one, or a way of life; let Gill's words help you through the process to heal.
Nikita Gill is a British-Indian writer and poet living in the south of England. With a huge online following, her words have entranced hearts and minds all over the world.
( With inputs from IANS )
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