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WORD POSSE by Rashid Osmani

WORD POSSE

Sufi-style Short Poems to Amuse & Entertain

by Rashid Osmani

Pub Date: Oct. 1st, 2012
ISBN: 978-1477661963
Publisher: CreateSpace

More than mere entertainment, these poems are bite-size nutritious bits for your brain packed into a debut book from Osmani that can be devoured in one sitting.

Osmani takes a profound look at love, human nature, politics, philosophy and more within the pages of this poetry collection, and in case he baffles in the process, there’s a guide at the end where he explains some of the poems that were considered the most cryptic, vague or difficult to decipher by fellow writers with whom he shared his work via the Internet.  Their comments appear here, so when reading these Sufi-style poems, one gets a communal sense of the poems by flipping to the back and reading the feedback and questions. This section provides an unusual way to look more deeply into the meaning of each piece. Sufi philosophy, as Osmani explains, is about observing the world and all of its contradictions, noting them without attempting to force them to make sense or follow some sort of order. Osmani’s poems never miss the mark; they frequently start with one view and then demonstrate how a slight tilt of the head and a change in perspective can dramatically change everything. Each poem reads like a punch line for the serious (and sometimes not so serious) themes of life. For example, in “Intelligent Idiots,” the speaker says, “The intelligent kind are dangerous. / They seldom get the big picture, / and never have a doubt. / I am not sure if I am one of them.” Osmani was inspired to write the collection while watching a political debate, but the concept extends well past politicians. Each poem is concise enough to grip even the shortest of attention spans, and once the reading is done, the poems continue to resonate. It pulls back the cover on life and takes a peek at the inconsistencies in every corner.

A must for those who appreciate satire, poetry and brevity.