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Because All is Not Lost: Verse on Grief (World Voices)

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Sweta Srivastava Vikram`s Because All is Not Lost: Verse on Grief (World Voices) is a new chapbook of poems about grief and recovery. While recovering from grief is never the same for everyone, these poems speak to the void that death can leave.

"One day she will stop/digging up maggots of loss/breeding in her memory.//" (From Convalescence, page 18)

Vikram uses simple imagery and encapsulated stories to illustrate grief and the possible reactions to loss. In the introduction, the poets explains her inspiration for the collection, the deaths of her grandfather and her mother's sister. The collection is sad and weighs heavily on the reader, and readers should consider taking each poem in separately to absorb their meaning. However, there are rays of hope within the poems.

Read the rest of the review at Savvy Verse & Wit.

"A poem begins with a lump in the throat."~Robert Frost

Although these poems are about loss and grief, they are also about hope and overcoming loss, and I felt uplifted after reading them. A spirit of optimism shines through, and as the author says in the book, "The night does not have to smell of burnt pork when there is honey". With striking imagery and intense feeling, this is a stunning collection of twenty poems. I eagerly look forward to reading more poetry and prose by multi-genre writer Sweta Srivastava Vikram.

Sweta Srivastava Vikram's slim volume of poetry speaks eloquently of grief . Pithy poems lament lost family members and troubled souls. The tone is bracing; the exhortation is to mourn and move on - each loss is an opportunity to learn.

I got book few days back and read it more than six times. Just love each piece of poetry as it touches the heart.Deep rooted belief in hope and optimism with emotions and sensibility... just loved it what can I say more...A must read for everyone.

A deeply moving, and inspiring anthology.... each piece of poetry touches the heart. The author has managed to capture grief, strength and eternal hope in words so simple and yet so true. Most of us have had to deal with the loss of a dear one at some stage of our lives, and even though we feel what we feel, it is difficult to pen down feelings and emotions in words. I got the book only 3 days ago, and have read it over 4 times already, and with each subsequent reading, I have uncovered yet another perspective in one or more of the poems. A must read...

'Because All is Not Lost' by Sweta Vikram Srivastava is a humble book. Although it's a slim book with words floating by smoothly, don't go just by the looks. These few pages carry a burden large enough to drown a mountain. Each and every word leaves a long-lasting impact on the soul of the reader, almost taking them unawares. Each word treads elephant like heavy yet firm straight towards its destination, your heart. Readers are sure to find something in the book with which they could relate to, something to feel close to and something to be reassured with. Even those who do not read poetry would understand instinctively the pathos and the twinkling rays of hope in these poetry.

The poetess Sweta has let her heart open to her readers, her vulnerability visible in all the poems. The book itself is a multitude of emotions bound together by a string of golden hope. While, 'A note to the biggest thief in this world' is a hopeful poetry in the book which promises the readers "To cherish the lush meadow of what's left behind and not roam dark alleys where phantoms bite like rodents, " on the other hand you have pounding heavily on your chest, 'Don't talk to strangers' and 'Beginning of the End.'
On one hand you have the fast paced 'A different Kind of Thanksgiving' "His blindside, her wrong side. Halt. Shrieks. Blood. Permanent stain." telling a story of anguish yet to be felt and on the other you have 'Lesson Learnt' which says, "Today, I am that age where I can throw rocks at the ocean all night. Swallow fumes of adulthood. But I don't."

This book is for all those who have lost someone close to their heart and also for those who fear loosing someone close. Poetess Sweta's poetry has the power to play with the fear residing inside of us and then leave us gaping with a hope, just like a roller coaster ride.

Sweta Srivastava Vikram's "Because All Is Not Lost: Verse on Grief" (published by Modern History Press) is an optimistic voyage through the process of grief and healing that draws upon the landscape and basic humanity as vehicles of expression.

The brevity of some poems encapsulates the universe of grief. In many ways, certain poems like A Fallen Soldier and Making the choice deliver guerrilla-style punches which leave the emotional impact of her visual and linguistic plays to carry on. Relentless poetry on mortality and finality can be potentially taxing to a reader but Sweta Vikram manages to effortlessly negotiate the boundaries of loss with last lines that leave the reader with moments of possibility - those of regeneration and healing.

The imagery of the landscape in "Because All Is Not Lost" serves as welcomed grounding motif to what is essentially an intensely emotional and intimate experience. Whether or not, life goes 'on like the Ganges,' the reader is reminded that like the natural world, loss is part of a wider cycle of birth, death and rebirth through acceptance of death. While the intensity of loss may diminish over time, memories of loved ones, like rivers, will continue to shape the landscapes of our individual worlds.

The real joy of this collection is its potential to be read in a single sitting, multiple times, with each subsequent reading revealing new insights. For poetry virgins, this text demands no sophisticated knowledge of poetics and literary discourse. To put simply, it is an accessible piece of enjoyable writing, a concept with which a lot of poets seem to struggle.

It is refreshing to read a collection of poems on grief that shine a spotlight on the optimism one can achieve after losing a loved one.

What makes this so effective is how clear her message of optimism and faith is throughout. No matter how difficult the subject might be (miscarriage perhaps in "Mommy, we need to have this chat") the poems show great resiliency.

Vikram's inspiration for writing this collection is outlined in the preface, as she discusses the influences her Dada (paternal grandfather) and Mausi (her mother's elder sister) have in shaping her journey as a writer. Although they have affected her the most, Vikram reflected on the losses by finding inspiration in their experiences together as the key to "overcoming the roadblocks life puts in our way."

After reading this collection, even though the journey through life is individualistic and unpredictable, we are reminded that we can all celebrate life as the first step to overcoming the roadblocks built by loss.

The poet's first chapbook "Pabulum" was an incredible mix of topics, themes, and emotions. "Because All is Not Lost" is a remarkable next for her. Digging her heels deep into grief--all aspects of it--she walks the reader through the harsh and gentle sides of dealing with loss without sermonizing. Some gems from the collection are "Survivor," "A Note to the Biggest Thief in the World," and "A Different Kind of Thanksgiving." All three poems are examples of her diverse and eclectic style, from honesty to power to story-telling. As you work your way through, you will find yourself stopping at each line to examine how it relates to you. Definitely not a compilation to fly through, the poet's words are perceptive enough to make you confront your own demons. A must-read.