Lei: A wreath for your soul

by Somali K. Chakrabarti

‘Lei: A wreath for your soul’ is a collection of short/micro poems that are inspired by nature and reflect on different hues of life. The word ‘lei’ refers to a garland or a wreath in Hawaiian language. In Hawaii, visitors, on arrival, are greeted with a warm ‘aloha’ and adorned with beautiful, fresh ‘lei’ as a symbol of affection. Each poem, in the book is like a fragrant flower, meant to celebrate life, generate positivism, soothe, inspire, nourish and rejuvenate the soul. Emotional and enlightening for any age, the book is composed of four sections: Nature, Life, Inspiration and Illusion. Most of the short poems are written following the Japanese style of micro-poetry (a Haiku or a Tanka). The poems illustrated with soothing imagery, are layered and imaginative, very short and simple to read, and convey a deeper meaning or bring out a new tinge of emotion every time you read them.

116 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 16, 2015

About the author

Author of ‘Lei: A wreath for your soul’.
http://getbook.at/Lei
Process Innovator, Management consultant, Leadership Coach and Creative Blogger. Drawing inspiration from nature, art, philosophy, history, management and science, I connect the dots, write to stimulate imagination and provoke thought.

I'm settled in Mumbai.

Reviews

[Purba Chakraborty · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful collection of haikus and tankas. A book that will make you admire Nature and appreciate Life.

[Sabyasachi]

According to the author Somali Chakrabarti, her book “Lei” is “Inspired by Nature, reflecting on life, ‘Lei’ is a series of short/micro poems. Each poem is like a fragrant flower, is meant to celebrate life, generate positivism, soothe, nourish and rejuvenate the soul”. After reading this book I find that she hasn't exaggerated. Each short poem is accompanied by an image. The author appears to have curated images from the internet that has an impact on her and has penned down the micro-poems. Some of these short poems are very nice and have the potential to inspire others.

....There was a time when we used to hear the words of the poets in various poetry recitation sessions. Today with the advent of technology, one can juxtapose such images with poems and create even more powerful communication. So I am very excited at the potential of such poems for conservation of nature and wildlife. This is the first book by Somali. I feel there is more to come in future.

[Kim Russell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I downloaded this little treasure of gems to my Kindle for free from Amazon. It consists mainly of aptly illustrated Japanese forms of poetry: haiku and tanka, which capture the essence of nature and snapshots of life events, strung together in a 'lei' by the poet. Somali describes her book as a series of 'micro poems' - they can be read in one sitting or, as I preferred to do, dipped into at random - and explains the structure of the haiku and the tanka for anyone who is unfamiliar with the forms. The only problem I had was with the Kindle download, which separated the lines of the poems and the poems from the illustrations, but that was easily resolved by changing the font size on my Kindle.

[Susan Girard · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful book of poetry and prose. Somali K. Chakrabarti takes you on a journey in Lei: A Wreath for your Soul. The beautiful photography partnered with the Haiku, Tanka and Etheree stylized writing traditions are delivered to perfection. Beautiful prose that lends itself to the magic of using very few words to convey the message and spark the imagination. I feel honored to have shared this experience with the Author and to have been able to share our ideas as writers with very similar paths. This is a book that I want on my Library shelf to refer to in times of need or desire of wisdom. Very reminiscent of the work of Khalil Gibran. Somali's words present a wonderful message and expression of Artistry. Job well done Somali.

[Shinde · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of Haiku & Tanka poems woven on a tapestry of life, nature and illusion.
Author's passion for words is evident through her 'I write b'cos words are prism of reality which reflect & refract thoughts.' Her poems are aptly matched by beautiful images and relevant info into Valley of Flowers, Hampi, Mahaballipuram and Cambodia temples.
My favorite 2 poems are 'Waves mirror and photoshop the skies' and 'Thoughts erupt like Vesuvius volcano'.

[Kiran Acharya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lei enthralls you with a nature tour through flowers, sunrise and sunset, clouds....The poems on life, and inspiration are packed with emotions, and wisdom.
If you love nature, and poetry, then this book is for you.

Read the complete review at Lei: A wreath for your soul—Book Review

[Tara Woods Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful, lyrical walk through a virtual garden of natural wonder and grace. This book of poems is like a collection of gems and the brilliance of pieces such as Rainbow in the Moon will have you asking yourself why we sweat the small stuff when there is so much harmony and peace all around us for the taking. A perfect gift for the graduate or that thoughtful friend who could use a smile.

[Joseph Minart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lei: It's a Wreath of Sheer Beauty
Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2016

I absolutely loved this book.

It's written so beautifully with simplicity. I loved her prologue the most, even before I started reading her poems! Somali perfectly described the idea behind every great writer. To believe in your words no matter what, loving the beauty to express yourself, and have your readers to find passion with the greater world around them.

She uses Haiku and Tanka styles in the book. My favorite ones (which were many) used metaphorical imagery intertwined with nature. Her brief descriptions reinforce her poetic ideals, equally as interesting as the thoughts tailored in her craft. My poetic review to you: read this for yourself, and be utterly impressed.

[Neeraj Kumar · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is full of emotions of various sorts. It introduces new dimensions to look at life and its surroundings. Some poems like: Water in a droplet, Rolling dice, Solitary leaf unravels the strangeness of life for you to ponder on. Other musings on creativity and writing inspire you to take a plunge in creative pool. I always enjoy learning new words and I found the poems sprinkled with words that give you joy when you learn the meanings of them. All in all, the posy of poems usher you into a different world of words that entertains and enlightens.

[Lune Spark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book was like an amazing journey through the small islands, one after the other, not getting enough but moving on to the next because of curiosity of finding more on the next island, and never getting disappointed to the least.

With her book, Lei: A wreath for your soul, Somali establishes herself as one of the promising voices on the modern indian literature scene. The verses are full of deep thought, philosophy, and beautiful meaning. One of the biggest challenges of writing good poetry is that a word here or there can completely throw a great work off. In case of Lei, the choice of words is fantastic, and it all comes together so beautifully. I can't wait for the next book from Somali.