TULIP: Stand tall in every phase of life by Sipra Supriya Naik

 

“Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found its words.”

That is exactly what came to mind while reading 𝗧𝘂𝗹𝗶𝗽 by Sipra Supriya Naik. This collection feels like a quiet conversation with the different versions of ourselves..who we were, who life made us, and who we are still becoming.

The title poem, 𝗧𝘂𝗹𝗶𝗽, was one of my favourites. I loved how the flower becomes a beautiful metaphor for self-respect, individuality and finding the courage to stand on your own. The line “𝗔 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲” stayed with me long after I finished the poem.

𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗜 felt especially poignant. The reflection on childhood, perfection, obedience and the gradual loss of innocence made it one of the poems I connected with most. There is something very human about looking back at the person we once were and realizing how much life has changed us.

𝗙𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗲 was another poem that really stood out. “𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗮𝗱 / 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝘃𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹 𝗻𝗼𝘄” captures emotional exhaustion in just a few words.

What I enjoyed most about 𝗧𝘂𝗹𝗶𝗽 is its range. It moves through vulnerability, nostalgia, resilience, relationships, faith, failure and self-discovery, while still leaving room for hope and reflection.

𝗧𝘂𝗹𝗶𝗽 is a thoughtful and emotionally layered poetry collection. It is the kind of book where you read a line, pause, and find yourself thinking about it long after turning the page. 𝗔 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝗲𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹, 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗶𝗻𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱.