Satori

Satori is a Japanese word that means ‘awakening,’ the Buddhist equivalent of the beginning of the path to enlightenment. As the title of this book of Urdu poetry, it represents moments in the journey of human experience. A journey which, whether seen as meaningless or as filled with purpose, is nevertheless fascinating and tantalizingly invites us to explore its mysteries and contradictions.

Satori is a Japanese word that means ‘awakening,’ the Buddhist equivalent of the beginning of the path to enlightenment. As the title of this book of poetry, it represents moments in the journey of human experience. A journey which, whether seen as meaningless or as filled with purpose, is nevertheless fascinating and tantalizingly invites us to explore its mysteries and contradictions. At one level, the poems express universal emotions and the well-known themes of ghazals -pain of loss or separation and the beauty of love in spite of that pain. However, these themes are sprinkled with philosophical musings, existential questions, cynical reflections, and some “aha!” and “oh-no!” perspectives. Of course, the words acquire meaning based only on the reader’s interpretation… an interpretation which often comes as a surprise to the writer. Most of the poems follow the ghazal form, with rhyming couplets and a refrain, with each line sharing the same meter. However, some are written in free verse. The dominant language is Urdu but is often supported and enriched with Hindi.

Preeti’s passion for Urdu poetry began when she was around 10 years old when she heard Jagjit and Chitra Singh for the first time and intensified over the years as she fell in love with Mehdi Hassan and Farida Khanum. After a career of over 18 years in the area of communications and people development in the corporate world, Preeti is now a freelance leadership development expert. She is deeply interested in psychology and spirituality and is currently writing a book on self-awareness and human behaviour. On days when she is not working, you will most likely find her in a coffee shop, reading a book. She enjoys listening to Sufi music, watching murder mysteries, splashing paints on canvas, travelling, and most of all spending time with her family – her mother, brother, sister-in law, and two absolutely adorable nephews. This book owes its existence to her mom and her friends who encouraged her to share her writing with others. Preeti lives in Gurgaon, India.