Poets Dream Anthology: New Beginings

Hello Friends,

I am delighted to let you know that my poem: Elysium is featured in an anthology. This is the first time that my work is part of a compilation. So its very, very special to me.

The anthology is driven by the highly talented +Ferrick Gray who is a highly talented poet himself. He has compiled the works of artists of Poets Dream community and published this work of art. I hope you enjoy reading the pieces.

Dream Catchers: Vol. 3 - New Beginnings is now available for download in PDF (882kB) from

Poet's Dream Website: poetsdream.org

Link to PDF: http://poetsdream.org/publications/V03Dec2016DreamCatchers.pdf

Google Play Books: books.google.com, or search for Dream Catchers in the Play Books app.

Visit the community to explore the world of Poets Dream.

Thank you for all the kind support.

Cheers,

Amit

Featured in Creative Talents Unleashed

Hello Friends,

I would like to share my joy with you today because my poem, Face of Many Mirrors got featured in the online literary magazine: Creative Talents Unleashed. Click here to read it. Thank you so much for your kind support.

Warm Regards,

Amit

Featured in WE DRINK BECAUSE WE'RE POETS

My poem Identity is featured in We Drink Because We're Poets. Click here to read it. Hope you like it! Thanks for reading.

The Flower Basket

A basket full of love - rich with endearing flowers,

That are tinted only with colors of utmost happiness,

Made those innocent eyes shimmer with sparkling showers,

While the lips widened to wear a smile of eagerness.

As the basket is taken along the hedges of a beautiful garden,

The breeze of misty morning made dew drops trickle down,

And quench the earth's thirst, letting the shrubs thrive in the open,

While the floral fragrance is savored until the sun goes down.

Suddenly, the morning bliss turned savagely gloomy,

For there came a darkest storm pelting black stones;

Which obliterated the flowers till they bled for mercy,

This brutal assault made agony ooze in muted groans.

The river of sad tears persistently flowed for a long time,

Until the gnawing pain dwindled, then the eyes caught a sign.

Beyond the depths of a fragile kernel, quivering with fear:

A spark of faint hope - making the storm slowly disappear.

When the spark flourished into full beams of celestial light,

The basket is carried again; this time with strength & courage.

Those stones remained at the bottom with their smirks of spite,

To unleash terror; for the traumatic past was held hostage.

It is only when new fragrant flowers are brought in,

Enchanting beauty is replenished with dancing butterflies.

As the flowers covered up those heinous stones of pain & sin

Returning smiles to the lips & joyful shine to those weary eyes.

*    *    *
Started: 20 January 2014 Finished: 22 January 2014

Featured in WORDS ON FIRE #3 on July 13, 2014

I am featured in Zest!

Wow! What a way to start 2014! My poem: The Condemned Stone is featured in the third issue of Zest Literary Journal. Before I start blabbering about my excitement, here the link to the issue. It's such a "WOW!" feeling to see my poem placed first in the Poetry section. I am jumping up and down like an animal gone frenzy with happiness. Its beautifully published in PDF format; it looks authentic and fabulous! You will see my short bio along with a mugshot. Oh, sorry! Not a mugshot, haha, but a nice picture of mine in the Contributors section. I hope you like my poem and other pieces of art by writers across the world. Please be patient while you are downloading the PDF as it is a big file. Its rich with priceless pieces!

I had submitted the poem early November 2013 and I received a response from the editor, Kate Alexander, on December 31, 2103 at 23:17 hours! I am so used to responses from the editors that the lines resonate inside my mind when I see a mail from them. They say:

Thank for submitting your work. We enjoyed reading your pieces. But, we can't select your piece at this time. Please submit your piece somewhere else.

It's like one tight slap on my face when I see a straight acceptance or rejection one-liners in their responses. They don't not tell me why they didn't select my piece. I have to figure it out by reading their previous issues. At least I am always thankful for their replies. Some magazines don't even respond to my submissions. Having said that, I never expected a positive reply even this time. It came as a mind-blowing surprise! This is my New Year gift and it came in grand style.

In response to my submission, Kate gave me a detailed feedback. No editor has given me a feedback on my work so far. She not only read it, but studied it extensively! So, it was worth waiting. Here is what she said:

I thoroughly enjoyed reading your poem, 'The Condemned Stone' and it would be my pleasure to publish this work in the third issue of Zest. Your descriptions are strong and written with thoughtful eloquence. I particularly appreciated the depiction of the stone as 'insignificant, repulsive and brittle with razor sharp edges'. This, in conjunction with the relatively simple rhyme scheme, enhances the overall meaning of the poem, further empowering the importance of its allegorical message.

I replied expressing my happiness & gratitude to her for the kindness and humility she showed in selecting my piece for Zest. This is my second foot print in a British magazine!

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Kate, for her fine qualities she exhibited as a remarkable editor. I liked the way she thoroughly examined the pieces and engaged the contributors along with her in the editing process. She is soft and considerate in giving out her suggestions. She constantly kept me posted on the updates on where and how the publication is heading. Every thing she said, was said with a human touch. I never felt like it was writer-to-editor conversation, but more of a writer-to-friend talk. The talks went back and forth few times; it was required and done only to bring out the best! I admire her patience, perseverance and passion in carrying out such an exhaustive process in a disciplined way. She is a prime example of a true editor. It was a wonderful experience working with her. I look forward to work with Zest again.

Cheers,
Amit

On the Asylum show yet again!

Yay! I will be featured yet again on the Asylum show yet again tonight. This time, Ken will be doing the spoken word of my poems. It came as a pleasant surprise to me when he tagged me in tonight's show announcement on Facebook. I am thankful to him for his encouragement and support! I am sure you will also enjoy great poetry by my fellow poet friends Zo-Alonzo and Wendy Smale, and awesome music by few great artists! This show is certainly a platform to showcase talents from all over the world! Way yo to go Ken!

Tune in to WiStle Radio 102.7 FM tonight (that is on Tuesday, 9PM EST). Click here to know your time zone. 

See you on the show! Cheers!

Featured in Tuck Magazine!

Yay! My short story Bitter Sweet is published in October issue of Tuck Magazine! Click here to read it.

Many thanks to Val Michael Tuck, Editor of Tuck Magazine.

I am on air with Ken Cowle on Canadian Radio - WhiStle Radio 102.7FM

AWESOME NEWS!

I am thrilled and excited to be invited by Ken Cowle, Founder & President of Soul Asylum Poetry and Publishing Inc., as a special guest on his show on Canadian radio: WhiStle Radio 102.7fm. So, on Tuesday (October 8, 2013) 9:00 PM EST, CLICK HERE to tune in to the show, then sit back, relax and enjoy listening to me speaking about my idea on poetry and writing, and doing the spoken word on my poems! You will also enjoy some great music along with it! Repeat telecast on Sunday (October 13, 2013) at 1:00 AM EST. Please share this news with your friends who would be interested in listening to the show.

I thank Wendy Smale, an artist from Pennsylvania, USA, who looked into my work and admired it. It was very nice of her to introduce me to Ken right away! Ken is an awesome person, extremely down to earth and a very kind man. I thank him for his time and patience to go through my pieces of poetry and giving me a chance to showcase my work on his show! When he asked me to be on his show, I nearly fainted: "Me? On a show?!" It took a lot for me swallow that! When the recording was over, I didn't sleep that night. Yes, it happens to me; whenever I am excited I don't sleep; I just kept smiling, laying in my bed looking up at the ceiling. With such guys existing in the world we live in, talents can no longer be hidden from it! Its truly a great honor! Well, I am super excited about this! I'd glad to know what you think about it!

Many thanks & Best regards,
Amit Herlekar

Yareah features my poem: He and She

Cheers friends!

I am immensely happy to inform you guys that my poem He and She is published in Yareah Magazine. Click here to read it.

Thank you so much +Isabel del Rio

He and She

Featured in BareBack!

Hello Friends,

It has all just started for me. Today my poem: The World that was Heaven is featured in May issue of BareBack Magazine! Click here to read all poems of this issue which also includes mine!

Cheers!
Amit

My First Publication in Miracle E-zine

Today is a great day for me. My poem The Great Mansion is published in fifth issue of Miracle E-zine. This is my first international foot print. Wohooo! This has made my work known globally. 

Link to read the issue: Miracle E-zine: Issue Five, April 2013. This magazine is currently for sale. Click 'Preview' and turn to Page 5, you will see my name listed under Poetry. Click here to go to Miracle e-zine

Here is how it all started. Two months ago, Melissa Fry Beasley, editor at Churn Magazine, contacted me when she visited my blog. She is already a published poet. Her first words of encouragement were:

Your poems are good enough to get them published in poetry magazines 

and gave me a long list of websites, which are essentially online magazines/journals looking for poetry submissions in their upcoming issues. And I also wanted a greater audience for my work to be showcased. Her words drove me to start looking into the sites right away. So I am indebted to her forever. I would have never known about this publishing world (apart from my blog) if she hadn't contacted me.

Most of the online magazines (e-zines) don't accept previously published work. So I searched hard for magazines which considers them. I read submission guidelines of each of the sites that showed up in search results. And then there was this Miracle E-zine. It accepted previously published work. So I wasted no time is submitting four of my poems. I wasn't too hopeful about my poems getting accepted but it was worth a shot. I got a reply from the editor a week later saying:

Thank you for sending your work to our magazine. I was really pleased to read your work and "The Great Mansion" has been put up on the short list for the magazine's fifth issue which will come in April

I was overwhelmed by this reply. I kept my fingers crossed. On 31st March, I got another reply congratulating me that my poem has made it to the final list and is selected to be published in the fifth issue of the magazine. I screamed with great joy! I called up my family and friends to share this news. And now that its finally out, I thank you so much for your support and inspiration in keeping me going in delivering better.