Dreaming in Spices

""The poems in this collection carry the aroma of Indian spices and recipes left behind by my mother. They are a reminder of the flavors associated with my memories of childhood, teenage lovers, and a rain drenched city, Kolkata where I grew up. This series illuminates the nuanced beauty of preserving the sights, smells, taste and texture of homemade spices through verse. Each poem represents a delicate dance between words and complex recollections. This book is a canvas painted with fleeting moments and intimate reflections that weave a tapestry of the happy and sad slices of life. Each spice blend allows the readers to explore echoes of joy, sorrowful tears, and the longing for a home left far behind. The poems, "Panch Phoron, the five-spice blend," "Masala chai," and "Dry roast" capture life through the memories of food. The poems from the pandemic series, "At the airport," "Next summer," "Departures," and "On arrival," grieve the profound loss of family members due to COVID-19 and have appeared previously in issue 4 of the "Ramble Magazine," published by Georgia Tech. As you turn the pages, you may find a reflection of your own stories of love and loss and a resonance of our shared narratives of existence.""