Author: Ayushman Jamwal
Publisher: Authorspress
Pages: 47
Format: Paperback
I aspire for the ideal without knowing what it is,
As life keeps changing lanes, I search for depth and meaning,
But with happiness so fleeting and ability so meager,
I am tired an worn out, yet hungry,
I search for an elusive peace in a crowd of broken souls.
In a crowd of broken souls, stands one soul who has beautifully penned down his journey of self-discovery, heartache, revelation and desire in his book, Chameleon Lights. Ayushman Jamwal , Senior News Editor at CNN News 18, writer and poet allows us to delve right into the heart of his poems written over a span of ten years.
The title of the book is quite intriguing. Life as we know it is eerily similar to that of a chameleon changing colors. We’re always surrounded by shadows of darkness, happiness, despair and joy. Regardless of how we choose to perceive life as, it will always be an abyss of myriad colors. The author weaved his thoughts in an intricate manner taking the reader along with him on a roller coaster ride of emotions.
Each and every poem in the book talks about various themes and emotions one can go through in a lifetime. The poem, ‘Insanity‘ talks about the mind that keeps spiraling into every direction, where grief hits you right on the face, brightness seems like an illusion and how caught in the web of hatred, jealousy and anger, we lose our sense of self.
‘Pain of a Young Heart‘ is one poem that spoke to me in a million different ways. We looked at world with optimism, believing it to be a bed full of roses. Little did we know, we’d soon be swallowed into a whirlwind of doubt, existential crisis, dread and anxiety of not knowing where we’re headed and what life’s going to throw at us. Ayushman Jamwal writes,
“I knew of life and its queer ways,
but never saw a sudden turn around,
I never knew that somehow,
This world would take me down.”
The poet touched the very core of human emotion through the poem, ‘The Beautiful Mind’. Maybe the world is cruel, and maybe you’re going to be tested but keep holding on, continue believing in yourself and keep showing courage when times are rough. The poet urges us to identify our minds, to awaken the sleeping passion inside of us and to look at the world with new zeal.
Happiness and fulfillment, a desire to all,
Cannot be claimed in heaven or hell
But where lives the saint and the sinner,
In my world,
This is where my light shall shimmer or end.
The poems are individualistic, each having an identity of its own. From ‘Canine Love’ dedicated to the author’s dog, Leo, to ‘Part of the Magi’ where the author has described his childhood days and schooling nostalgia, Chameleon Lights is filled with warmth, pain, desire and love.
Ayushman has dedicated his book to his grandfather Late Group Captain Randhir Singh also known as Kunwar Vyogi, who was an established writer in the Dogri Language. The launch of the book took place at Oxford Bookstore, Kolkata, which was partnered by Kolkata Bloggers and supported by Kunwar Viyogi Memorial Trust.
The beauty of a poem lies in its subjectivity. It’s heart-warming to see how one poem can be interpreted in a million different ways. Chameleon Lights gives the readers all that they could ask for and much more.
If you haven’t already, you can purchase the book from here: Amazon
