Author Spotlight; Ritu Bhathal and Poetry Rituals.

Poetry is a mysterious thing to me. Epics I have warmed to, how the minutia works is for better minds than mine. Enter Ritu, an enthusiastic poetess and successful blogger.

Ritu I met on the blogosphere just over a year ago. One of those people you instantly like and feel as if you’ve known them forever. I knew she had a WIP spanning eighteen years and it would be churlish not to mention that this year that project has finally made first draft.

I will say congratulations now, but hold off from speaking about that because it’s featuring on my next #IWSG post due on the first Wednesday in June. The aim there will be to inspire writers with remarkable journey of creation.

For now I shall stick to poetry. Well, I’ll let Ritu talk poetry as I’m no expert. Epics only. I blame being sixteen with Thomas Hardy poetry and “The Trumpet Major” as texts for exams. I’m sure he’s very good, but sixteen and forced reading… stuff of nightmares. It took heavy rock, Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Iron Maiden to bring me back. Even then, epics only. I think I said that. Hardy influence in action.

Introduction by Ritu

Ritu Bhathal was born in Birmingham in the mid-1970’s to migrant parents, hailing from Kenya but with Indian origin. This colourful background has been a constant source of inspiration to her.

From childhood, she always enjoyed reading. This love of books is mostly credited to her mother.

The joy of reading spurred her on to become creative in her own writing, from fiction to poetry.

Winning little writing competitions at school and locally gave her the encouragement to continue writing.

As a wife, mother, daughter, sister, and teacher, she has drawn on inspiration from many avenues to create the poems that she writes.

A qualified teacher, having studied at Kingston University, she now deals with classes of children as a sideline to her writing!

Ritu also writes a blog, a mixture of life and creativity, thoughts and opinions, which was awarded firstplace in the Best Overall Blog Category at the 2017 Annual Bloggers Bash Awards.

Ritu is happily married, and living in Kent, with her Hubby Dearest, and two children, not forgetting the furbaby Sonu Singh.

Having published an anthology of poetry, Poetic RITUals, she is currently working on some short stories, and a novel, to be published in the near future.

Book Blurb:

Delve into a book of verse exploring different topics and different genres, all with a RITUal twist.

A collection of poetry drawing on the experiences of the writer, ranging from matters of the heart, love for the family, situations in life and some verses written with a humorous twist.

Why Poetry?

Quite simply, I fell into it!

I have always had a bit of a ‘thing’ for making sentences rhyme. And frequently at school, I quickly whip up a rhyme for leaving assemblies and little ditties that will help with learning.

Since starting blogging, I realised that I could pen a poem for all sorts of occasions. They didn’t need to be slushy romantic sonnets all the time! I quickly found inspiration in all sorts, from my kids and family to my husband (obviously a little romance had to feature!) to the cat, printer woes, and pacing bags, to name a few.

Then I learned all about other forms of poetry, thanks to some challenges I encountered. And so my fascination with Haiku, Tanka, Senryu and Cinquains started. I am mastering Haibun too!

But poetry isn’t really my first love.

I am a storyteller at heart.

I enjoy reading stories to my children and class. And I love to write fiction.

I have penned a rhyming story for children, which I haven’t put out there as I need an illustrator, and I am too scared! There are two more which are half written.

I have some short stories which I am considering putting into a small volume, and then the biggie.

This is where I cut this part short. The biggie, as Ritu calls it is going to form the #IWSG post I referred to before. It’s a huge inspiration for any writer thinking it’s easy, whip out a novel in a couple of months no problem. For many this is simply not the case. Time, life and commitments all play a role.

Ritu is an exemplar here.

Available on Amazon UK

Poetic RITUals

Available on Amazon US

Poetic RITUals

Some Tantalising Prose Copyrighted by Ritu Bhathal 2015

“The Thing About Kids”

The thing about kids

Is they’re a ball of contradictions!

You love em,

Oh God, do you love em!

But there are days

When you could hate em!

When they’re full

Of smiles and cuddles

Playing nicely with one another

It really does feel like

There’s no better

Place, no other

But oh, when they

Squabble, tittle tattle

Shout and scream

You think parenting’s

A nightmare

It’s meant to be a dream!

Watching them in the garden

Fills you with a sense

Of pride

Yet the same air,

But in a park

Then your worries , you can’t hide

A cough or sniffle, fever, rash

You wish you could

Make them well

But other than love, and Calpol

It’s a parent’s

Form of Hell

They make you laugh

And make you cry

For reasons good and bad

But I wouldn’t

Change anything

About the kids I’m glad I had!

“An Ode To Ironing”

Sitting here, thinking, not sure what to do

It’s Sunday evening and the weekend’s almost through.

But I spy something, it’s waving at me

and I’m really trying so hard not to see…

That great pile of ironing, stacked in a heap

It’s there, all quiet, from it, not a peep

But the silent noise coming from that pile

Will start to get to me, in a while

Some say that they hate it, that ironing’s a chore

Or that it’s a terrible, terrible bore,

But a little secret, let me tell you

I really love ironing, honestly I do!

So I guess my night will consist of some fun,

Or at least, getting the ironing done!

Three Random Facts About Ritu

This is the part where I ask participants to throw in anything about themselves that the blogging community might not know about. Often my favourite bit as getting to know bloggers as people is so much more than knowing their URL.

Check out number three!

I am a teacher by profession with writer/blogger coming in after, though I have managed to rack up a couple of other job titles over the years, including Assistant Manager of a designer clothes boutique in Kingston-Upon Thames, a Bank Cashier and a Telemarketer for Nestle, Kellogs, JusRol and The Craft Guild of Chefs!
I once won an award for Gymnastics at school and ever graceful, I tripped up the stairs when going to receive it!
I can wiggle one eyebrow on its own – I was rather impressed with that until my daughter trumped me and is the proud owner of two eyebrows with lives of their own. She can make them go up and down individually and make them both dance to music – quite a feat to be honest!

Further Information About the Poetess

Website: http://www.butismileanyway.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PhantomGiggler

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phantom_giggler/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/butismileanyway/

Pinterest: https://uk.pinterest.com/bhathalpadhaal/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/56854412-ritu-bhathal

Flipboard: https://flipboard.com/@Phantom_Giggler

Stumbleupon: http://www.stumbleupon.com/stumbler/ritubhathal75

Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/ritusmiles

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritu-bhathal-48941648/

Bloglovin: https://www.bloglovin.com/@ritubhathalpadhaal