Treasuring Poetry: Meet poet and author, Ritu Bhathal, and read about her thoughts on poetry
Posted: March 20, 2021 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Interview, Poetry, Review, Treasuring Poetry | Tags: Book Review, Poet Interview, Poetic RITUals, Poetry, Poetry Collection, Ritu Bhathal, Treasuring Poetry, Writing to be Read 61 Comments
Today, I am delighted to feature Ritu Bhathal, talented poet and author, as my Treasuring Poetry guest. Ritu has a lovely poetry book, Poetic RITUals, a romance, Marriage Unarranged, and is a contributor to This is Lockdown, compiled and edited by MJ Mallen.
Which of your own poems is your favourite?
There are a lot of poems I have written, which resonate, but one of my favourites will always be this one:
From Twinkle To Reality
Let me take you down that road,
Much travelled through eternity
The journey to become a mum,
From twinkle to reality.
The plans you make at a young age,
Full of gurgles and laughter,
The horror as you realise,
What really does come after!
The fun of trying,
The monthly wait.
The disappointment,
That feeling, you hate…
The years of trying,
Full of hospitals and checks,
The medication taking you over,
You feel like total wrecks…
Then finally, the day comes
That positive is clear
The goal that you were aiming for,
Has suddenly come near.
The months of fascination,
Your changing body grows
The feeling of satisfaction
That only you can know.
Those pain-filled days, or hours
To reach the prize you sought
The feeling of satisfaction
That this little bundle brought.
I gaze at you in wonder
Are you really here?
I’m overwhelmed with happiness
And a tiny bit of fear.
Will I be able to give to you
All you want and need?
As you look at me, wide eyed
Snuggled close while you feed.
Little blessing, sent from God
My heart is filled with joy
I will do all I can for you,
My darling baby boy.
And so the cycle continues
The waits and checks again
We’re gifted with a gorgeous girl
After a little more pain.
My life is here with me right now
Some twinkles from my eyes.
But I’ll never forget those twinkles
That now, do grace the skies…
A lovely poem, Ritu, that all parents can relate to. I can see why it is your favourite.
What inspired you to write this particular poem?
This poem is dedicated to my wonderful children, recognising the struggles to have them, and remembering my 2 angels lighting the sky at night. The words just came to me, one day, as I was running a bath. The poem formed within ten minutes, and garnered a great interest on my blog when I published it, and on my anthology, Poetic RITUals.
Which genre of poetry do you enjoy writing the most and why?
I have learned a lot about poetry, since I began blogging. I do love simple rhyming couplets and four-line rhyming verses, but I also love the succinct haiku, senryu and tanka forms. It’s amazing how much you can convey in such few syllables.
Which genre of poetry do you enjoy reading the most?
I don’t have a favourite genre of poetry to read. I find that, depending on the subject, all forms can appeal. Sometimes freeform poetry speaks to me, sometimes it is the simple abab rhymes. And who doesn’t love a limerick?
What is your favourite poem?
I have to say I don’t have a strict favourite poem, but I am a huge fan of Pam Ayres.
Here is a great one!
YES I’LL MARRY YOU MY DEAR
Yes, I’ll marry you, my dear.
And here’s the reason why.
So I can push you out of bed,
When the baby starts to cry.
And if we hear a knocking,
And it’s creepy and it’s late,
I hand you the torch, you see,
And you investigate.
Yes I’ll marry you, my dear,
You may not apprehend it,
But when the tumble-drier goes
It’s you that has to mend it.
You have to face the neighbour
Should our labrador attack him,
And if a drunkard fondles me
It’s you that has to whack him.
Yes, I’ll marry you, my dear,
You’re virile and you’re lean,
My house is like a pigsty
You can help to keep it clean.
That little sexy dinner
Which you served by candlelight,
As I just do chipolatas,
You can cook it every night!!!
It’s you who has to work the drill
And put up curtain track,
And when I’ve got PMT, it’s you who gets the flak,
I do see great advantages,
But none of them for you,
And so, before you see the light,
I DO, I DO, I DO!!
Haha, Ritu, you had better hope Hubby Dearest does not read this.
Poetic RITUals
What Amazon says
Delve into a book of verse exploring different topics and different genres, all with a RITUal twist.
A collection of poetry drawing on the experiences of the writer, ranging from matters of the heart, love for the family, situations in life and some verses written with a humorous twist.
My review
This is a delightful book of poetry with a lot of variety in the tone and content of the poems. They are all written from a very human perspective and cover the day-to-day life of a Mother of two, wife and employee with a lovely twist of humour. As all of these things myself, I found the verses to be very relatable. The book is divided into four sections which each deal with different aspects of life, namely, Family RITUals, Life rituals, Rituals of the heart and Rituals to make you smile.
Who could not enjoy such words as the following:
“Snuggled close while you feed.
Little blessing, sent from God
My heart is filled with joy”
This took me right back to those first days as a Mother and the closeness of cuddling your new-born and breastfeeding.
“A cough or sniffle, fever, rash
You wish you could
make them well
but other than love, and Calpol
It’s a parent’s
Form of Hell”
As a Mother of a child with a chronic illness, this verse had me nodding my head in agreement and feeling Ritu’s anguish.
I would recommend this book which is a keeper. A book to delve into for a smile when life gets heavy going.
Purchase Poetic RITUals
Other books
You can read my review of Marriage Unarranged here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R1UMFET10EPA4M
You can read my review of This is Lockdown here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R10H47WGGWTVWT
About Ritu Bhathal
Ritu Bhathal was born in Birmingham in the mid-1970s to migrant parents, hailing from Kenya but with Indian origin. This colourful background has been a constant source of inspiration to her.
From childhood, she always enjoyed reading. This love of books is credited to her mother. The joy of reading spurred her on to become creative in her writing, from fiction to poetry. Winning little writing competitions at school and locally encouraged her to continue writing.
As a wife, mother, daughter, sister, and teacher, she has drawn on inspiration from many avenues to create the poems that she writes.
A qualified teacher, having studied at Kingston University, she now deals with classes of children as a sideline to her writing!
Ritu also writes a blog, www.butismileanyway.com, a mixture of life and creativity, thoughts and opinions, which was awarded first place in the Best Overall Blog category at the 2017 Annual Bloggers Bash Awards, and Best Book Blog in 2019.
Ritu is happily married and living in Kent, with her Hubby Dearest, and two children, not forgetting the fur baby Sonu Singh.
About Robbie Cheadle
Robbie Cheadle has published nine books for children and one poetry book. She has branched into writing for adults and young adults and, in order to clearly separate her children’s books from her adult books, is writing for older readers under the name Roberta Eaton Cheadle.
Robbie Cheadle’s Sir Chocolate children’s picture books are written in sweet, short rhymes which are easy for young children to follow and are illustrated with pictures of delicious cakes and cake decorations. Each book also includes simple recipes or biscuit art directions which children can make under adult supervision. Her books for older children also incorporate recipes that are relevant to the storylines.
Roberta Eaton Cheadle’s supernatural stories combine fabulous paranormal elements with fascinating historical facts.
Children’s picture books – available as a square book and an A5 book (co-authored with Michael Cheadle):
Sir Chocolate and the strawberry cream story and cookbook
Sir Chocolate and the baby cookie monster story and cookbook
Sir Chocolate and the sugar dough bees story and cookbook
Sir Chocolate and the Condensed Milk River story and cookbook
Sir Chocolate and the Sugar Crystal Caves story and cookbook
Sir Chocolate and the Fondant Five story and cookbook
Sir Chocolate and the Ice Cream Rainbow Fairies story and cookbook
Middle school books:
Silly Willy Goes to Cape Town (includes five fun party cake ideas)
While the Bombs Fell (co-authored with Elsie Hancy Eaton)
Poetry book:
Open a new door (co-authored with Kim Blades)
Supernatural fantasy YA novel:
Through the Nethergate
Horror Anthologies (edited by Dan Alatorre):
Spellbound
Nightmareland
Dark Visions
Paranormal Anthologies (edited by Kaye Lynne Booth):
Spirits of the West
Whispers of the Past
Murder mystery Anthology (edited by Stephen Bentley)
Death Among Us
Find Robbie Cheadle
Blog: https://bakeandwrite.co.za/
Blog: robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com
Twitter: BakeandWrite
Instagram: Robbie Cheadle – Instagram
Facebook: Sir Chocolate Books
Want to be sure not to miss any of Robbie’s “Treasuring Poetry” segments? Subscribe to Writing to be Read for e-mail notifications whenever new content is posted or follow WtbR on WordPress.
Writing to be Read 
Reblogged this on Robbie's inspiration and commented:
Today I am hosting talented author and poet, Ritu Bhathal, for my Treasuring Poetry series over at Writing to be Read. Ritu has shared her favourite poems and some thought about poetry. Thank you to Kaye Lynne Booth for hosting us.
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Thank you for having me on here, Robbie!💜
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My pleasure, Ritu. A lovely post.
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Lovely to see Ritu here with her thoughts on poetry. I loved Ritu’s poem and Pam Ayres made me laugh! Lol.
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Thanks, Marje! Pam.Ayres is brilliant!
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Such fun always nice to have a giggle! x
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Thank you, Marje, I felt exactly the same.
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I enjoyed learning more about Ritu’s poetry. I have always been a fan. Thanks for hosting her.
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Thank you so much, Dan 💜
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My pleasure, Dan. I am delighted you enjoyed this post.
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A great interview with Ritu! I love the poems she chose to share.
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Thank you, Darlene 💜
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Hi Darlene, that poem gave me a good giggle too. Thanks for visiting and commenting.
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Thank you Darlene!
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Twinkle… that is exactly what Ritu does; she is such a bright, shining star! Glad to see her featured here. 🙂
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Thank you so much, Sis 💜
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That is such a lovely description of Ritu, Annette. Thank you, and I agree.
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As always a wonderful poem Ritu celebrating the journey to motherhood however it unfolds and thanks for sharing with us Robbie… have a lovely weekend.
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Thank you, Sally 💜
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Hi Sally, I loved this poem to and I was so pleased to share it here. Thank you for adding your thoughts, Ritu does write lovely poetry, and prose too.
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I can see why Ritu chose “From Twinkle to Reality.” It’s a wonderful poem. And the Pam Ayres’ poem is just delightful.
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Thank you, Liz. The ones from the heart are often your best 💜
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You’re welcome, Ritu. I agree!
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Thank you, Liz, I thought so too. I really laughted over the Pam Ayres poem.
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You’re welcome, Robbie. 😀
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Reblogged this on Pattys World.
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Thanks for sharing!
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Thanks for sharing, Patty.
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Ritu’s poetry is enjoyable, as she sticks to realism. I’ve read ‘Poetic Rituals’ and still remember some of her lovely poems that made me chuckle.
Thank you for this lovely post girls. I love that poem by Pam. 🙂
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Hi Balroop, thanks for adding your thoughts about Poetic Rituals, such a heartfelt book of poetry. I appreciate your visit and comment.
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Thank you so much, Balroop! I’m glad that some of my verses can get a chuckle!
Pam Ayres is just brilliant, too, isn’t she? 🙂
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Sure, her brilliance peeps through this poem Ritu.
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Absolutely!
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It was lovely to read some of Ritu’s poetry here. Such a touching poem about her children, including the twinkles in the sky. I’m sure many will be able to identify with it.
Pam Ayres is amazing, isn’t she. This is a great poem too.
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HI Norah, I really enjoy Ritu’s poetry and it always makes me smile when I think of my own motherhood journey. Pam Ayres is new to me but I loved this poem too.
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This is a beautiful poem that Ritu wrote.
I was aware of Pam Ayres many years ago. I used to see her on TV reciting her poems. I bought a couple of her books for my mum, or me. I don’t know who has them now. They are so funny.
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I will have to investigate her poetry further. Thank you, Norah 🤗
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I will have to investigate Ritu’s further. 🙂
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Thank you, Norah. I’m glad you liked the poem. Pam Ayres is a real influence to my poetry, too!
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Your poem is a bit different from Pam’s though. She’s a bit more irreverent.
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Yes, that one is, but other ones I write can have that silliness to them!
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I’ll have to read more. 🙂
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Thank you, Norah. I’m glad you liked the poem. Pam Ayres is a real influence to my poetry, too!
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What a sweet poem to feature, Ritu. I love all the heart behind it. Thanks for sharing Pam Ayres poem too. That one gave me a giggle. I enjoyed Poetic Rituals and agree wholeheartedly with Robbie’s review. A great interview, Robbie and Ritu, and thanks for hosting Kaye-Lynne.
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Thank you so much, Diana 💜
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Thank you, Diana. I am glad you enjoyed Ritu’s poem as much as I did. I also had a good laugh at the Pam Ayres poem.
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Never thought with Sis it could be much more funnier as in the past. Lol But there is no limit. 😉 Thank you for this great posting, and i love the favorite poem of Ritu too. The first one you could gift to this old grey haired men, living somewhere in the middle of Italy. ,-) Michael
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Thank you, Bro 💜
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You are really empowering, Sis! Please stay save, because i have heared the “Brazilian strain” could be much more aggressive. Michael
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Well hopefully now I’m.vqccinated, I’ll stay safe!
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Hi Michael, lovely to see you. I am so pleased you enjoyed Ritu’s poem and your choice of favourite poem. I hope you had a lovely weekend and have a good new week.
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Robbie, this is a wonderful interview and review. I am so glad that Ritu was your guest today. It’s nice to learn more about our readers. 🙂 My apologies for not checking in for this post sooner. It’s been a long weekend.
Ritu, it is wonderful to learn more about you here. Thank you for sharing such a heart felt poem. It is the kind of poem that touches hearts, and I’m sure there are many mothers out there who would agree. The best writing always comes from the soul. 🙂
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Many thanks, Kayelynne, for having me over.
That poem will always hold a special place in my heart ❤
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Hi Kaye, Ritu writes lovely poetry and that is how I first found her blog. Her and I have been on our writing journey together and have children of similar ages to giggle about.
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[…] Head over to read the rest of this wonderful poem about the journey to motherhood and the rest of the interview:Treasuring Poetry: Meet poet and author, Ritu Bhathal, and read about her thoughts on poetry […]
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Thank you, Sally 💗
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Beautiful poetry, Ritu. You pour your personal emotions and experiences into your craft. Well done! Thanks for sharing, Robbie. 🙂
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I truly appreciate your words, Mark!
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🙂
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Ritu is a wonderful poet, Mark, and it was through her poetry that I found her blog in 2016.
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Yes she is. I wish I would have read more of her work. Time to catch up. 🙂
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