Through the verses in his first Book "THE CROSSOVER", Sunil brings out some of his inner thoughts, emotions, feelings and perspectives about what he feels about the current day world and the sociopsychic condition of the human race which has taken us far away from the shrine of inner tranquility which resides in each one of us. His spontaneous style of writing in simple words makes it easier to relate to, by people questioning the existing collective belief systems and working towards finding pathways to experience higher dimensions of life. Some of his perspectives on the fabric of life, and the way one can free oneself from the conditionings which are getting constantly accumulated in one's mind, have the power to change and alter the way one perceives the external and the internal world. It is evident that Sunil has been questioning, disseminating and understanding the various factors which act as the basic forces which orchestrate the evolution of existence both in the macrocosm and the microcosm. This being his first attempt to put his thoughts onto the paper, his magical play of simple words to communicate some of his very profound insights in the form of verses, is quite commendable.
The author through the verses successfully depicted the emotions and current human life scenarios in a thought provoking manner. The simple form of writing easily relates with the reader.
As much as I am willing to describe each verse,
I am resisting myself from doing this curse,
I believe that would not be fair,
and it better should be left for the readers out there.
It begins with a ‘why?’ which perfectly reflects author’s frame of mind. Then the book is being divided into three sections. The first part of the book is titled ‘Dreams’, second part is titled ‘Reality’ and the third and last part is ‘The Path’. No matter which section you read, you will always be able to connect to if not all, then certainly to most of the verses. Some of the verses I liked the most are 12, 13, 14, 15, 19, 21, 22, 24, 27, 31, 33, 34, 35, 37, 43, 46.
“truth shrugs itself
and light hides form the dark
what has happened to us humans
where is that one big spark?”
The ‘Reality’ section of the book is the best part and the author does a brilliant job in describing the real world problems and talking about the solution. The subject of the verses covers almost all the topics you could think of ranging from politics, media, ego, love to animals, god, et al. The author has made a constant effort to make people understand the true meaning of life and how we are all running for fake goals and distancing ourselves from the real ones.
“jump into the unknown
and you will learn the ways
let go of all the conditioning
and be a child again”
‘The Path’ forms the last section of the book that talks about the life and god and the goodness one should achieve. Author warns that the path would not be easy but then,
“the path to light
has to be walked alone
there are no short cuts
and there are no maps”
His magical play of words that he used to communicate his profound insights in the form of verses is quite commendable. I would recommend this book to everyone to read at least once. It surely will make an impact on your life and the way you live it.
This is the first attempt at poetry, writing in verse by the poet. As justly mentioned in the introduction, the poet’s life took a turn for the worse and the verses reflect it very strongly.
Through different sections starting with 'Why' and then followed by 'Dreams, 'Reality' and finally 'The Path', the poet lucidly mulls over the emptiness of this stressful life, over the never ending run towards emptiness, the path of redemption and deliverance. The poems stress on neglect of nature, the harshness of contemporary thoughts, injustice, grief, lack of simplicity and happiness among others. The verses encourage one to break free from the shackles of the rat race and live in purity. And like all holy precepts, prods one to probe deep within oneself since all the answers you seek lay within, God dwells within.
The undertaking is undoubtedly earnest and commendable, though I found some of the poems to be truly amateurish and exhibiting a flamboyant desperation to rhyme words. And did I mention that as you read one poem after another, you experience a looming repetitiveness. Some of the verses are really striking and honest and induce thoughtfulness like the one below. Overall a thought provoking read.
I invite you to jump out of the race And look at what lies on the other side There will always be someone above and below Where’s the need to be jealous or have pride
The book, ‘The Crossover’ is a book of reflection and enlightenment. It is a yearning of the soul – the poet’s soul. It is a delight to hold, the cover design elegantly done with illustrations that match the emotions and THOUGHTS of the lines of verse that traverse the poetic imagination of the poet Sunil Sandeep.
The Crossover Year The Crossover POETRY is like my daily peg of wine that I need, to make me feel sane. It dullens my senses, justifies situations that I cannot solve and also helps charge up my system to a cause I feel strongly about. Sunil Sandeep’s ‘The Crossover’ addresses the conflicts of his mind and soul, questions situations and puts forth solutions that are idealistic. It is a book of truth, humanity and spirituality portrayed from the poet’s point of view.
Divided into three sections- Dreams, Reality and Path, the book is a journal of the heart, MORE a conversation with the self, something that most poets need to do to understand themselves and the world.
Judging a collection of poetry is difficult because only the poet understands fully what he/she wishes to express either in pain or joy, in love or despair. But again, when poems challenge you to decipher the meaning of the thoughts and emotions that the lines proclaim, it is INDEED beautiful – because the same piece of verse can come up with different perspectives.
The Dreams section of the book brings out the subconscious thoughts and emotions of the poet like in the lines:
“winds of desire
are history now
blank spaces in my mind
have begun to show”
or like in the lines:
“no more dark tunnels to be crossed
no more cages to bind me in
no more bridges of doubt to be walked on
and no more wounds to be healed”
The Reality section of the book is about war, blind faith, busy lifestyles, MONEY and the like.
“fooled by popes and priests
man has become blind to his inner eye
walking through doorless streets
he finds no one to hear his cry”
“man’s hunger knows no rest
he always wants to be the best
if the lesson was properly learnt
his fingers he’d have hardly burnt”
Heaven, hell, justice seem to find a lot of place in Sunil’s poems more like he was questioning faith and belief but then again, his lines:
“the dangerous rain of doubt
has swept us all away
when will these clouds pass
when will be that bright sunny day?”
Questioning doubt and hoping for a better tomorrow, something that many of us want to believe in however difficult the situation may be. The last few poems where God advises man is the best of the lot.
“Pain brings out the best in you
Please confront it with courage
Before finishing each lesson
Please don’t turn the page”
The preface of the book is by Guy Steven Needler who is a spiritual physicist the poet met during a meditation workshop. No wonder then, the poet’s verses are more spiritually inclined, questioning the self, Nature, God and the soul. His poems make use of free verse and rhyme to express his views. For those interested in a book of poems that talks of the higher self, of contemplation, of the essence of life, then this book would be the right one. Sunil sees meaning in life through a microscope that reproaches superficial living and self denial.
A point to be mentioned is that none of the poems are titled, giving you more rope to interpret the poems in any way you deem fit. A great read for those philosophically and idealistically inclined.
Originally reviewed at Vaultofbooks.com, a close-knit community of fanatical readers. We are looking for perceptive readers who can write well, and we are eager to provide lots of free books in exchange for reviews. Shoot us a mail at contact@vaultofbooks.com
Sunil Starts of the book with a why ? Why should one express something at all … he goes on to say that the existence wants us to celebrate sing and Dance …a very nice way to answer the question. Why? He sings and dances throughout the book, he speaks about Dreams, Reality and the path of life in his verses, but you can see his pen and his soul singing and dancing all the while. As we sing and Dance with him, we are asked tough questions , we are asked sit, relax, look back and contemplate on the journey of our lives. Some of these verses and their very deep meaning that made me believe that I was reading the verses of a philosopher-poet. The meaning on the surface and meaning when we think deeply about a verse are two different things. From questioning or say inquiry with a “why”, to the “dreams” and from there to “reality” and then to “the path” and finally telling the us that “he is aware that he is aware”, (You read it right) Sunil gives verses that are pregnant with multiple meanings.
As Robert Frost says , “Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words.” You will fall in love with some of the expressions the author uses in the book , the number of meanings or rather say the possible meanings that come out of these expressions are countless, He uses simple words but the expression would make you think a lot. For example , in a poem he says “The drunken human mind takes us to ditch” . What does he exactly mean by a drunken human mind ? Does the mind really drink ? It’s body not the mind right ? We know a brain exists so intoxication can affect it , but mind in itself is abstract isn’t it ? Now if a mind drinks what all does it drink? How can they affect us ? Read the book to know more. Read the verse and reflect you will get it.
Some other expressions I liked are “Giant Boulders of harshness rule the world these days”, boulders and ruling the world … interesting isn’t it ? then, “to get out of the prison we must know we are already there” was another nice expression.
I liked the book , the poems and approach of the author to drive home his point. I liked them all. The way he depicts the troubles in the world and attributes them to the loss of humanity was indeed very good. He tells all this wonderfully, then “The path” part gives us pointers on how things can be improved. The solution part by the author was good as it in a way gives the book a proper ending.
Writing random poems would be easy, here you can drive home a point with each of the poems but writing a set of poems to drive home a point and then having themes in them again is really hard and the Sunil Sandeep has done an excellent job here. I would recommend this book , this one makes the reader retrospect and makes the readers see things differently. Do read the book I am sure you would like it.
To begin with I didn't get much from the poems or it was a little difficult for me to understand what the author wanted to convey but slowly and gradually it grew on me. It deals with meaning of life, questioning everything we are doing, trying to find the purpose of your life, touching your soul and then suggesting you break the shackles and find the truth.
It’s a little difficult to express the writing in words as it talks about something that can be felt, understood but hard to explain. For that I give credit to the writer for attempting to do it. However I feel that he felt a little short of it. The writing is good but not very good and it sometimes become difficult for an average reader to understand what the writer wants to convey.
What I liked most are the illustrations besides every poem by Betty bileterka, very precise and imaginative.
The Crossover is the author’s maiden attempt at bringing out the voice of his heart out through poems. The book showcases the author’s take on life, beginning with dreams which drive us for the daily grind; as the mental metamorphosis occurs, we come face to face with reality and understand the actual stuff life is made of. It is time then to take stock of the situation and chalk our own path to understanding self and attaining inner peace. A welcome change from the over doze of fiction and self help that weeds our bookshelves, The crossover makes you pause and think before you move on to the next one…perhaps inspire to write one yourself!
The book hasbeen put together with great effort. The poems and art are simply outstanding. It was nothing what I was expecting, better than what I was expecting. I am so glad I entered this giveaway! I recieved this book for free from a Goodreads giveaway Honestly, I don't have many words to say. The book speaks to us all, I think we all have gone through the things that the poet expresses some time in our lives. I loved how the author did not use any capital letters in the book, it all just fits. I recommend this book to everyone out there who appreciates poetry.
This book has poems that are written in a simple manner, that still have depth in meaning, and manage to make you think; pictures that make you think on the poem as well. But not everyone likes poetry, and not every poem is understandable to even those who do like. So sometimes you may feel it’s not that good. But a collection that’s worth a read for sure.