Raindrops Chasing Raindrops

by Paresh Tiwari

The poems have chosen to recount the story of their lives. They confide how they were conceived in moments of utter desperation or times of languorous lovemaking. How they grew up on hunger or abundance, and the way they abandoned the empty husk of their poet to search for something more fulfilling.

In this book of 61 prose poems, Paresh Tiwari dwells on love, memory, family, pain, war, rebellion, dreams, mutiny and mundanity, exploring new facets by shifting meanings up a slope on the axis mundi of the unknown. Whether you are a lover of words or phrases that slither into newer meanings, or you just want to set afoot into deep snapshots — portals of reverie — is entirely your choice. Rochelle Potkar, writer and poet

Being a painter as well as a writer Paresh Tiwari has an eye for (visual) details and how these add to the ‘colour’ of a scene; how scents, light, sounds and materials all are essential parts of the scenery in which his stories play out, and yes, these are stories, short films for every sense. The surge of Indian haikai in recent years has given birth to a gem of a book! Johannes SH Bjerg, writer and editor

Genres: Poetry

96 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2017

About the author

Poet, artist and editor Paresh Tiwari lives in India and has been widely published, especially in the sub-genre of Japanese poetry. A Pushcart Prize nominee, he has published two widely acclaimed collections of poetry – An inch of Sky & Raindrops chasing Raindrops. His latest collection of haibun ‘Raindrops chasing Raindrops’ is the recipient of the ‘Touchstone Distinguished Book Awards – 2017’.

He is the serving haibun editor of the online literary magazine Narrow Road, a tri-annual publication.

Paresh has read his works at various literature festivals including Hyderabad Literature Festival and Goa Art and Lit Fest, cafés, theatres, galleries and has conducted haibun workshops at venues across India.

Reviews

[Mark Heathcote · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a distinct feeling of dedication and love put into the pages of this manuscript from beginning to end. For me, each page opens and reads part-diary, part poem and it is all exquisitely combined into a complete crisp woven tapestry which is kind of enlightened. And like all good poetry as soon as you’ve finished it, you want to return back to the beginning. His voice is rich yet pleasantly soothing and endearingly charming he carries you along like a fresh breeze that swirls quietly around the kitchen table leg, clasping your hand pulling you gently out the dining room window, down a mountain pass across an ocean, straddling the stars swirling galaxies and plonking you back where you started from. It is all like a magical carpet ride from beginning to end. With a tabby cat who moonlights as a Zen master on her less busy days. He somewhat jocularly says he, one day might win the Nobel, and who knows he just might. Aren’t all dreams there to be achieved if only we have the faith to believe in them and see them out to the bitter end? What more can I say other than, get a copy and enjoy as much as I did.

[Vinay Leo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review at A Bookworm's Musing

This isn’t a book every reader might understand, or experience in the same way I did. Then again, that’s the beauty of the book. For now, I lay down my pen, and return to the world penned by imagination… to the snow, to coffee rings left somewhere, and to the window, watching raindrops chasing raindrops.

[Nicki White · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book way back in February of this year and since it has been read three times. I had won it thru a Goodreads giveaway and it has become a fixture for me to have at arm’s length. Lets just say the book is now declared as a loved book.

I remember when the book the arrived it was down pouring that day and left me in a bit of funk. But it seemed as though once it came into my presence I felt a pull to it. It just resonated with in a way I really can’t explain.

Paresh has a way with his words that instantly take you away from your reality while placing you in an alternative universe. I became captivated by the flow of the words and how each poem took you deeper and deeper into the mind of another soul.

The styling of Haibun and Hybrid poem is still rather new to me, but it is one at least with Raindrops Chasing Raindrops that I find myself enjoying. It wasn’t a style I was taught in school but one that I wish I was more versed on. I love the fluidity of his words that shone a light into his personal being which opens the door to total transparency.

I know that this will be a book that I treasure for years to come. I recommend this read for any poetry lover to infuse themselves into.

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Contained within the pages of this book are poems that scratch far beneath the surface of what a 'typical' poem usually is. The author finds a way to really gnaw at one's soul, all the while resembling a rather eloquent speaker. With each new poem, I found layers of my own psyche begging for more. With the shedding of each layer came a new epiphany. I hope to read more from this author in the very near future.

[Tashfin Awal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book for free through Goodreads Giveaways and have chosen to give my honest opinion about it.
I think the flowery use of language was lovely and the stark contrasts of ideas presented within the poems are remarkable and help with the cascading essence of what slowly forms into an intriguing story. The symbols were a bit too vague to comprehend sometimes, but the context and imagery around certainly help discern the meanings.

[Yesha Shah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Raindrops
Chasing
Raindrops

There couldn’t have been a more apt title for this path-breaking book. Just as the raindrops chasing each other on the windscreen of a car defy gravity, this book by Paresh Tiwari defies many-a rigid norm to elevate this genre Haibun, to hitherto unconquered heights.
This book, beautifully interwoven into four sections, takes you on a fantasy flight aboard Paresh’s paper planes, makes you admire the allure of imperfection in kintsugi, turns you nostalgic with postcards from the past and warms your heart on a cold rainy day with a colourful patchwork quilt.

The verses effortlessly interweave through the real and surreal worlds, as if the surreal is nothing but an unseen extension of our lives. The haiku integrated in the verses are brilliant, contemporary and cleverly done. Sometimes they take the prose forward and sometimes they are a striking contrast, either way perfectly crafted.

forest trail
the echo of a journey
I never started

brackish water
heartbreak is nothing
but a spondee

The haibun; some deep and emotive, some quirky with a tinge of humour, strike a raw chord in the reader’s mind. The description is vivid and the details striking. There is love, loss, melancholy, pain, fantasy… every element that connects one to their inner void.
It is totally futile to attempt picking favourites from this collection of 61 gems.
A book worth many re-reads!! And a delight for every Haibun lover.

[Krishna Ahir · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful collection of personal yet universal life experiences that touched my heart, made me feel my feelings and kept me reading late into the night. Paresh’s haibun are sort of confessional, varied, intimate and wise. Each piece is beautifully written and by the end I felt like I knew someone special.
Paresh will take you on a journey so surreal that it'll make it difficult to find your way back to reality. He truly makes ones soul stir with his words in his poems. The writings are bold and beautiful. Some of the lines will directly touch each string of your heart. With each poem I end up craving for more. His poems are like shredding layers of one’s skin, layer by layer until it’s just bare soul and then makes the soul dance, feel happy, feel sad, feel ecstatic, feel euphoria of emotions… an experience that surely leaves the reader in state of epiphany.
A memorable collection of haibun by a master of the genre, which will make a fine addition to one's library, a must read ! Highly recommended!

[Aditya Bhatia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was my first step into haibun, and it left a strong impression. The 61 haibun pieces explore a wide range of emotions inlucding the quiet beauty in everyday moments—all beautifully paired with haiku that blend naturally with the prose. The writing resonates on both a personal and universal level, drawing you into each moment with heartfelt emotion—just as beautifully as the title itself, Raindrops Chasing Raindrops.
It left me with a comforting feeling, as if I had experienced something truly special.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book itself is very beautiful, I love the cover and it's texture. The book as a whole flows well together with each individual story touching on such a wide range of events and feelings. I would very much like to read more from this author.

Received as a Goodreads giveaway-

[Dan Burt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding!

[Aditya Bhatia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was my first step into haibun, and it left a strong impression. The 61 haibun pieces explore a wide range of emotions inlucding the quiet beauty in everyday moments—all beautifully paired with haiku that blend naturally with the prose. The writing resonates on both a personal and universal level, drawing you into each moment with heartfelt emotion—just as beautifully as the title itself, Raindrops Chasing Raindrops.
It left me with a comforting feeling, as if I had experienced something truly special.