Poems in Poetcrit

 My poems published in POETCRIT,  39.1 (January-June) 2026

J.L. CANFIELD's REVIEW COMMENTS ON MY LEAVES OF SILENCE

 J.L. Canfield's Review Comments on my LEAVES OF SILENCE:

 Let me begin by saying I rarely review self-published works or poetry. I agreed to review this work as the author is a distinguished professor of the literature genre in which this is written, and I made myself a promise to break free from the ruts that hold me in place.

The name ‘Leaves of Silence’ is fitting for this work in many ways. First, there are many moments in our lives, especially women’s, that we go through in silence, such as miscarriage, illness, and the agony of relationship loss. Second, this work details many moments in our lives that turn out to be those whispery, quieter times we either come to cherish them or see they were turning points in our lives. I recognized many such moments from my life in these verses. Some brought to mind beautiful moments. Other memories I long buried because of hurts resurfaced as well.

Poetry is not everyone’s cup of tea, as it can be difficult to grasp what the poet is trying hard to say in such few words. That is one reason I have never tried to write poems other than the ones I compose for greeting cards and birthday wishes. My talent lies in storytelling. I am too full of words to say something short-winded. I need at least 75,000 words to leave you second guessing your suspect in a mystery or to take you to the highest realms of love. Poets can that in less than 100. I say all this to encourage you to read his work.

Dr Singh has taken poetry to a level that can grasp a reader’s soul and hold it. This is not a book you can read in one sitting or even in a day if you want to get the full effect his words have. I found that reading more than a few poems a day exhausted me emotionally. They made me ruminate on the meaning and how they related to life, whether I had experienced it that way or not.

His poems are a beautiful and accurate description of what most women feel. That pleased me; it is not often I read a work by a male writer who makes me feel they understand women at our deepest level. Again, I encourage you, read his work.

From one author to another, I thank you for sharing this work with me. Poetry is a more advanced skill than that which I have. Because of that, I can happily say this is a work I will always appreciate.

Some of his poems are raw, dirty, edgy, and take us to the lowest forms of our humanity. Other ones lift a soul, bring about smiles and joyful tears, and guide us to the highest levels of emotional satisfaction.

I wish I could pick one and declare it the best of the book. Alas, I cannot, which is why I strongly recommend you read his work.

J.L. Canfield is an award winning author of fiction. Her works are traditionally published and can be found wherever books are sold and on online. Hiding Behind Robes is one of her  most popular books.    She resides in Portsmouth, Virginia. Email: jlcanfield@yahoo.com

FLAME

 My poem FLAME published in SPILLWORDS,  23 January 2026

Haiku in JEWELS OF SERENDIPITY

 My haiku published in JEWELS OF SERENDIPITY (ed. Kanwar Dinesh Singh), N

New Delhi: Authors Press,  2025, p. 54

My Poem ELITES published in The Cultural Reverence

 

The Cultural Reverence 

#WeekendPublication January 17, 2026 

ELITES

How rich our God
selling miracles
in ancient cities

agents bulldoze
shops that once sold stories
to native bhaktas

standing in queues now
and police clearing the passage
for the chosen few

--R.K.Singh

https://theculturalreverence.wordpress.com/2026/01/17/elites-a-poem-by-prof-r-k-singh-india/ 

A READER'S RESPONSE TO JAPANESE TRANSLATION OF '白濁: SILENCE: A WHITE DISTRUST'

 Mary Alexandra, who mentions my Hakudaku: SILENCE: A WHITE DISTRUST Ram Krishna Singh, Rika Inami (Translator) published in October 2021 on Listopia for readers to discover the book,   writes the following in a personal mail to me dated 15 January 2026:

 "Hi Dr. Singh,

Observing how readers in international poetry, haiku, and tanka explore Goodreads, your book Hakudaku: SILENCE: A WHITE DISTRUST stood out  not because it’s missing, but because it hasn’t yet surfaced in some of the Listopia paths where your ideal readers tend to browse.

This isn’t a promotion pitch,  just a reader-side observation about visibility.

Your work masterfully bridges English and Japanese poetic forms, combining haiku, tanka, and senryu with technical precision and a nuanced sensitivity to language and culture. The care taken in translating these forms while respecting both languages’ rhythmic and syllabic constraints offers readers a rare and enriching experience,  yet even books with this unique cultural and literary depth can sometimes be hidden from the readers who would appreciate them most.

I sometimes quietly test reader-side discovery by placing books into existing lists to see whether visibility shifts. This is done at no cost, with no obligation, and without making any commitments.

If that’s not something you’re interested in, that’s completely okay. Even a quick “no thanks” is fine,  I just didn’t want to assume.

Warmly,
Mary "

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/176736850-hakudaku

 
 

https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/226023.Translated_Poetry_2025 

My poems in Two Anthologies

 My poems published in two anthologies edited by Julie Miles 

My Three Poems published in Kurukshetra: Between War and Peace

 My three poems published in Kurukshetra: Between War and Peace, edited by by Prof. Dr. Roopali Sircar Gaur and Anita Joseph, 2025. Published by TDW Productions & Publishing /Pothi.com

Available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.in/Kurukshetra-Prof-Roopali-Sircar-Joseph/dp/9391828876#

 

 

Nibedita Sen in her Foreword writes:  

 

Here are the three poems: