Cobalt

by Abhivyakti Singh

"I have seen letters shredding people to bits,

and silences feeding thunderous war cries

So, you see

I do not know what heals, and what scathes,

what saves, and what breaks"

Through a myriad of sensational imageries, Abhivyakti Singh takes us through the deeper ends of loss and abandonment. Her style is subtle, hard-hitting, and rhythmically melts into the tones of performance poetry. Cobalt talks about ruins and salvation in the milieu of an urban hubbub, extending a nostalgic nod to rural sentiments. It strikes a chord with astounding simplicity and earnestly celebrates the dawn of emotional redemption.

132 pages, Paperback

Published July 4, 2018

About the author

ABHIVYAKTI SINGH is a literary editor and writer from India who graduated from NYU's publishing programme in 2020, and has since pinned an unreasonable amount of hope on books saving the world. By day, she edits manuscripts, writes long corporate emails through clenched teeth and murders unsuspecting houseplants with her confident over-watering. She also devotes a troubling amount of time to doom-scrolling and despairing over the state of the world.

Follow Abhivyakti on Instagram (@abhivyakti_singh) or subscribe to her monthly newsletter, The Kashi Telegram, to stay updated with her work.

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Reviews

[Laura van Gerven]

i love poetry <3
Here some of my fave sentences:

… and tell them about the line that rund between abuse and affection

See, that’s the thing with children
who were scarred a little too young
They always think that the world is out to get them

Out of all the ways we could have destroyed each other, we chose love

Like shards holding shards together,
two pieces tried making each other whole
- but were never enough

You could be the most sweet-scented rose in the garden -
Yet, someone will walk in looking for daisies

[Vidhya Thakkar]

 The book is divided into four parts. A summer of Bougainvillea, The free fall, Rocks and bottom and Light and Letters.  There are some one-liners, some verses which will melt your heart.

The author expresses her feelings through different poems and line in a wonderful way. Themes like Love, Pain, heartbreak is used by the author. The writing style of the author is fresh and natural. She beautifully tells about the feeling we experience in our day to day lives. The flow of the book is crisp.

Each verse has its own depth, a reader can relate to. I loved the poem Who Are you?  and The free fall part the most. The author has portrayed each and every emotion in a delightful way. It's a quick read with deep meanings. Not to forget, the cover is a pleasing one.