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Treasuring Poetry: Meet poet and author, Ritu Bhathal, and read about her thoughts on poetry

Posted: March 20, 2021 | Author: | Filed under: Book Review, Books, Interview, Poetry, Review, Treasuring Poetry | Tags: , , , , , , , |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

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Other books

You can read my review of Marriage Unarranged here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R1UMFET10EPA4M

This Is Lockdown: COVID19 Diaries Flash Fiction Poetry

You can read my review of This is Lockdown here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-reviews/R10H47WGGWTVWT

About Ritu Bhathal

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

IMG_9902

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.

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. If you found it interesting or entertaining, please share.

61 Comments on “Treasuring Poetry: Meet poet and author, Ritu Bhathal, and read about her thoughts on poetry”

  1. robbiesinspiration says:
    March 20, 2021 at 5:54 am

    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.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  2. Ritu says:
    March 20, 2021 at 6:09 am

    Thank you for having me on here, Robbie!💜

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  3. Marje @ Kyrosmagica says:
    March 20, 2021 at 6:10 am

    Lovely to see Ritu here with her thoughts on poetry. I loved Ritu’s poem and Pam Ayres made me laugh! Lol.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
  4. Dan Antion says:
    March 20, 2021 at 6:39 am

    I enjoyed learning more about Ritu’s poetry. I have always been a fan. Thanks for hosting her.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
  5. Darlene says:
    March 20, 2021 at 7:20 am

    A great interview with Ritu! I love the poems she chose to share.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  6. Ritu says:
    March 20, 2021 at 7:22 am

    Thank you Darlene!

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
  7. Annette Rochelle Aben says:
    March 20, 2021 at 7:28 am

    Twinkle… that is exactly what Ritu does; she is such a bright, shining star! Glad to see her featured here. 🙂

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
  8. Smorgasbord - Variety is the Spice of Life. says:
    March 20, 2021 at 7:30 am

    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.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
  9. Liz Gauffreau says:
    March 20, 2021 at 8:12 am

    I can see why Ritu chose “From Twinkle to Reality.” It’s a wonderful poem. And the Pam Ayres’ poem is just delightful.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
  10. Patty L. Fletcher says:
    March 20, 2021 at 9:34 am

    Reblogged this on Pattys World.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
  11. balroop2013 says:
    March 20, 2021 at 11:12 am

    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. 🙂

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
  12. Norah says:
    March 21, 2021 at 4:51 am

    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.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  13. Ritu says:
    March 21, 2021 at 5:05 am

    Thank you, Norah. I’m glad you liked the poem. Pam Ayres is a real influence to my poetry, too!

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
  14. D. Wallace Peach says:
    March 21, 2021 at 10:35 am

    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.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  15. OIKOS™-Editorial says:
    March 21, 2021 at 12:42 pm

    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

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply
  16. kayelynnebooth says:
    March 21, 2021 at 6:45 pm

    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. 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  17. Smorgasbord Blogger Daily – Monday 22nd March 2021 – #Interview Robbie Cheadle and Ritu Bhathal, #Peeves Leon Stevens, #Wishes Jennie Fitzkee | Smorgasbord Blog Magazine says:
    March 22, 2021 at 12:00 pm

    […] 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 […]

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  18. robbiesinspiration says:
    March 22, 2021 at 1:08 pm

    Thank you, Sally 💗

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  19. markbierman says:
    March 31, 2021 at 11:37 am

    Beautiful poetry, Ritu. You pour your personal emotions and experiences into your craft. Well done! Thanks for sharing, Robbie. 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

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