Over the weekend, I impulse bought a book of poetry by an author I had never heard of. Upon reading his work, I could immediately compare him to poets whom I have recently read and enjoyed such as Rupi Kaur, and Amanda Lovelace. The book of poetry I bought was "Planting Gardens in Graves" by RH Sin. Being a quick one-session read, these original poems celebrate themes such as emotional connection, while simultaneously mourning heartbreak, and above all, attempts to empower readers to seek the love they deserve.
Sin is not one for long winding metaphor, and his eloquence comes from simplicity. In fact, his poetry can be described as such - short, simple and to the point. On his website he says:
"I just wanted the opportunity to speak to the women who are like the ones I've met throughout life. All fighting something, all surviving something. My art, my poetry is my way of giving back to all the powerful women who have either inspired me or helped me become a better man."
And in many cases, you would think that it was a women writing these poems, the way Sin empathises, could make a reader believe that he has in fact gone through the problems he is writing about. A complaint some have with this collection is that it can get repetitive, as most poems are about heartbreak and healing, but with each person's healing process set a different speed, can one put a limit on expression?
Overall, this book is very well reflected upon work of contemporary poetry. Most of the poems are quite short in nature, making it not only a quick read, but one that non-poetry connoisseurs can delve into. In the future, I will be looking out for more of Sin's poetry, as this book was a good introduction to his works.
