Interestingly this is a collection of poems that doesn’t look forced. It is natural and to the point. ‘Flotsam of the mind’ is a poetry collection by Malini Nair a poet, traveler and a wonderful artist; you can know it, looking at the cover page of the book which has a self portrait painted by her. Malini Nair confesses in these poems about her sexuality, life and its struggles, philosophy and inspiration.
The poems are heavily loaded with themes on feminism and their blues. One important topic that the collection deals with is the abuse; whether it concerns children or married women. This is becoming very common today; child abuse more so due to trafficking on the rise is creating havoc in the lives of the innocent. The married women too, are abused by their husbands or in-laws and this is aptly presented by Malini Nair in her poetry collection. Who else can better express what one feels as a woman when one becomes a victim to various social evils? I believe Malini has truly done her part in the best manner trying to understand the plight of the victims, as one can get the feel of it in her poems.
Each poem makes one think and do something about the situation. As one reads further one would also notice that a few poems have been written as the poet was on a move or travelling to some place. These poems are beautifully written that it makes you feel to embark on a journey to the described place and I believe that is the victory of the poet. If the poet has been able to inspire one’s reader to get involved in what one has written.
Apart from the varied poems in the collection I loved the poem ‘Tight Lipped’ because of the depth and the theme that it handles. It becomes difficult for a poet to usually express hard and dark emotions in a clear cut manner, but Malini in her poems does it efficiently, perhaps due to her expertise of writing poems for years.
Poetry is always considered to be of a different realm altogether. It is either neglected or not considered at all, perhaps due to the complexity it beholds. But due to the boom in Indian poetry today it has been read and appreciated across the world. Malini Nair’s poems on the other hand, make the reader to relate to them and connect to one’s life. They embody the magic that one would have not imagined to be fascinated by.
