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Obolus
Growing up in a suburb in Bombay (now, Mumbai) to working parents in a middle-class family meant that I had a pretty normal childhood. There weren't any hardships and the only expectation my folks had from me back then was to study well and get good grades. But, I was pretty distracted as a kid... Actually, I still am... Nothing much has changed... So, instead of studying, I would end up making board games and writing short stories to amuse myself. Until one day when my journal entries were seen by a pair of prying eyes... There was nothing embarrassing but I realised the need to be more cryptic. Poetry became the answer. Being a sensitive kid with anger issues ensured that I had plenty to write about. By the time I got to engineering, I had developed a taste for sarcasm and dry humour. Couple of years later, I found solace in six strings and the love affair resulted in further writing... and now, I have reached a point where I have been writing for more than half my life. "Obolus" is a rather refined version of this rather normal millennial's rather abnormal musings about Death and Dreams, Life and Existence, Silence and Confrontation, Vulnerability, and them Gods. Hope you have a nice read! If you wish to get and stay in touch, do write to ObolusTheBook@gmail.com and we can take it from there.
78 pages, Paperback
Published June 22, 2017
3 people are currently reading
5 people want to read
About the author
Roshan Varghese
2 books1 followerGrowing up in a suburb in Bombay (now, Mumbai) to working parents in a middle-class family meant that I had a pretty normal childhood. There weren't any hardships and the only expectation my folks had from me back then was to study well and get good grades. But, I was pretty distracted as a kid... Actually, I still am... Nothing much has changed... So, instead of studying, I would end up making board games and writing short stories to amuse myself. Until one day when my journal entries were seen by a pair of prying eyes... There was nothing embarrassing but I realised the need to be more cryptic. Poetry became the answer.
Being a sensitive kid with anger issues ensured that I had plenty to write about. By the time I got to engineering, I had developed a taste for sarcasm and dry humour. Couple of years later, I found solace in six strings and the love affair resulted in further writing... and now, I have reached a point where I have been writing for more than half my life.
Being a sensitive kid with anger issues ensured that I had plenty to write about. By the time I got to engineering, I had developed a taste for sarcasm and dry humour. Couple of years later, I found solace in six strings and the love affair resulted in further writing... and now, I have reached a point where I have been writing for more than half my life.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
February 20, 2019
Obolus.. had amused me immensely. This simple, yet insightful collection is definitely a beautiful thing that poetry readers would love to come across. I search for writings, that are unique in taste. When Obolus happened to me, through a friend, I knew I found something I have been looking for. Some of these poems are mature experiences, sweet musings and wishes and have a deep respect for the soul. In short, just the currents you need to seek solace in yourself, at bedtime.
August 26, 2018
I was blessed and fortunate to have had the opportunity to stay with Roshan, the author of this book, at his home in Pune, for a long weekend during my 3 month visit to India.
I guess you could say I was on a personal journey of discovery. Every traveller will tell you that their journeys are often made complete by the company they have kept along their ways. You are very often able to connect very deeply with these people who you meet, there are no expectations and no prejudices, just blank canvases for new friendships.
Roshan shared his book of poems to me one afternoon. I sat and read the entire book back to back whilst Roshan was slaving away in the kitchen over the meal he was cooking for us!
I was very impressed with the content, and more so by how open Roshan is and even more so again, by how eager he is to share his childhood musings much wider.
I was lucky to have the author within quizzing distance and was able to delve into what each poem really meant to him then and now!
I found it fascinating to hear the inner dialogue of a teenage male - something that is usually concealed by cloak of bravado.
These poems are what ordinary guys think about, but don't necessarily talk about, and it got me thinking about the importance of talking and sharing how we feel, to let each other hear another perspective, which can in turn shrink our own problems from our exaggerated illusions in our mind down in to tiny trivial matters when brought out to the reality of the wider world.
In a modern age riddled with anxiety, depression and mental health concerns , we are beginning to open up and realise that it's okay not to be okay! We ALL have our questions, doubts and concerns in our lives. Sharing makes people realise and understand that it's not an isolated case.
It is generally known that male suicide rates are higher than womens, globally. I wonder if more guys were sharing their thoughts more openly, or even just being able to have access to read poems and books like this, if we could make this change? This book could make a change, even for just one person...
Obolus is a well formed collection of beautifully written short poems and witty few liners which are playful with words. This book will spark interest and intrigue and leave the reader at times asking questions, at times feeling inspired and at times feeling comforted.
I guess you could say I was on a personal journey of discovery. Every traveller will tell you that their journeys are often made complete by the company they have kept along their ways. You are very often able to connect very deeply with these people who you meet, there are no expectations and no prejudices, just blank canvases for new friendships.
Roshan shared his book of poems to me one afternoon. I sat and read the entire book back to back whilst Roshan was slaving away in the kitchen over the meal he was cooking for us!
I was very impressed with the content, and more so by how open Roshan is and even more so again, by how eager he is to share his childhood musings much wider.
I was lucky to have the author within quizzing distance and was able to delve into what each poem really meant to him then and now!
I found it fascinating to hear the inner dialogue of a teenage male - something that is usually concealed by cloak of bravado.
These poems are what ordinary guys think about, but don't necessarily talk about, and it got me thinking about the importance of talking and sharing how we feel, to let each other hear another perspective, which can in turn shrink our own problems from our exaggerated illusions in our mind down in to tiny trivial matters when brought out to the reality of the wider world.
In a modern age riddled with anxiety, depression and mental health concerns , we are beginning to open up and realise that it's okay not to be okay! We ALL have our questions, doubts and concerns in our lives. Sharing makes people realise and understand that it's not an isolated case.
It is generally known that male suicide rates are higher than womens, globally. I wonder if more guys were sharing their thoughts more openly, or even just being able to have access to read poems and books like this, if we could make this change? This book could make a change, even for just one person...
Obolus is a well formed collection of beautifully written short poems and witty few liners which are playful with words. This book will spark interest and intrigue and leave the reader at times asking questions, at times feeling inspired and at times feeling comforted.
September 25, 2018
Obolus is more than a collection of poems - it is a stunning, fully coherent whole. It is an intense and sometimes playful poetry collection that moves from emotions and sensations, love and loss, darkness and light, to whimsy and imprudence. Yet, all the poems fit oddly together.
The book is filled with wit and casual wordplay. The poems vary in length and style and are connected by their cadences and flow. Some are conversational in format—some to awkward degrees—while others are more lyrical and rhythmic. Some are ballads; others are short, quippy, single-stanza poems. Poetic techniques are used skillfully, including alliteration and extended metaphors. Mostly, the poems focus their intention inward, ranging from essentials of human existence, such as birth, growth, emotionality, aspiration, conflict, to mortality.
The poems assume a variety of viewpoints, reflecting personal as well as imagined perceptions. Personal and unguarded, Roshan forms an intimate connection through his poems while exploring metaphors and parallel stories through allusions. These devices are integral to the poems, making his poetic universe larger and more inclusive by invoking the universal human experience, not just his own. This recurrent theme provides a strong framework for him to branch out from, all the while reinforcing his message of intense self-exploration.
The collection’s strongest poems, including “Death and Dream” and “Morphean Rhapsody,” are stylistically abstruse but emotional, bringing forward much sentiment and passion with their lines.
To live is to die, a breath at a time…
ObolusRoshan is a poet armed with life experience and craft, two weapons that he brings to bear with full force in this book. When a poem causes you a wince of discomfort, chances are that it’s the poet who let down his/ her defenses and revealed a psychic wound. Such vulnerability is powerful. You feel for the poet, and such feelings are what make us best as humans. The vein of greatness that pulses through Obolus is remarkably subtle, and only when you are done with the last poem and regroup your thoughts, do you realize that you witnessed something mesmerizing!
The book is filled with wit and casual wordplay. The poems vary in length and style and are connected by their cadences and flow. Some are conversational in format—some to awkward degrees—while others are more lyrical and rhythmic. Some are ballads; others are short, quippy, single-stanza poems. Poetic techniques are used skillfully, including alliteration and extended metaphors. Mostly, the poems focus their intention inward, ranging from essentials of human existence, such as birth, growth, emotionality, aspiration, conflict, to mortality.
The poems assume a variety of viewpoints, reflecting personal as well as imagined perceptions. Personal and unguarded, Roshan forms an intimate connection through his poems while exploring metaphors and parallel stories through allusions. These devices are integral to the poems, making his poetic universe larger and more inclusive by invoking the universal human experience, not just his own. This recurrent theme provides a strong framework for him to branch out from, all the while reinforcing his message of intense self-exploration.
The collection’s strongest poems, including “Death and Dream” and “Morphean Rhapsody,” are stylistically abstruse but emotional, bringing forward much sentiment and passion with their lines.
To live is to die, a breath at a time…
ObolusRoshan is a poet armed with life experience and craft, two weapons that he brings to bear with full force in this book. When a poem causes you a wince of discomfort, chances are that it’s the poet who let down his/ her defenses and revealed a psychic wound. Such vulnerability is powerful. You feel for the poet, and such feelings are what make us best as humans. The vein of greatness that pulses through Obolus is remarkably subtle, and only when you are done with the last poem and regroup your thoughts, do you realize that you witnessed something mesmerizing!
September 18, 2018
I started reading Obolus a month and a half back and ever since then I have ensured to take out time to revisit most poems in it. There are very few books of this genre who have managed to set this kind of connection with me.
At first one might feel that the poems are a quick read but the beauty of these writings is, it gives you enough questions to think about because of its engaging underlying message.
These poems will take you through the memory lane of your own. It's as if Roshan was right there when you were struggling to find your identity at different intervals of your life or even when you were uncomfortable with trivial things like Monday morning blues.
My personal favorite is Moon's grief for some obvious nostalgia it creates but the one I keep going back to is Enemy.
A unique realization I must share. Emotions expressed in this book are common to all and our future generations will experience them too as long the social set up remains the same. Being a mother, Obolus gave me some interesting watch outs before I react to situations in the future!
At first one might feel that the poems are a quick read but the beauty of these writings is, it gives you enough questions to think about because of its engaging underlying message.
These poems will take you through the memory lane of your own. It's as if Roshan was right there when you were struggling to find your identity at different intervals of your life or even when you were uncomfortable with trivial things like Monday morning blues.
My personal favorite is Moon's grief for some obvious nostalgia it creates but the one I keep going back to is Enemy.
A unique realization I must share. Emotions expressed in this book are common to all and our future generations will experience them too as long the social set up remains the same. Being a mother, Obolus gave me some interesting watch outs before I react to situations in the future!
July 24, 2017
This book is a beautiful compilation of poetry by Roshan Varghese . It is funny , satirical and .. it lingers :) . It is a perfect cafe book or a travel companion or a bed time read . It is true meaningful poetry which stays succinct . It has something to offer for every mood :) . Highly recommend it!
August 17, 2019
From birth to death to rebirth...Roshan may not use fancy words and fancier techniques but he sure knows how to play your emotions like a six-string. Some of the poems in this anthology even read like the lyrics to a song, with a slow melody playing in the background. For anyone intimidated by poetry, like I have been for most of my life - fearing I'm too stupid and too empty to understand their meaning - Obolus presents to you your life as a poem written just for you, in words and feelings you have thought and felt before. So, give it a chance. And you might decide to give yourself one more chance, too.
August 17, 2019
The Obolus is a wonderful collection of short poems beautifully penned down by Roshan. My personal favourites are Paracosm, The sheep goes baa, Poker face, Just this once, Moons grief, Awkward Silence, Blame it all on me and Gods. These poems are the subtle reflection of our everyday thoughts and makes it easier to accept the fact that life is anything but a bed of roses. Really soulful and a must read!
June 13, 2019
Obolus is Roshan.
It is his rebellious teens, a paranoid 20s to preparation of mid life crisis. His fears and anticipation of the future and what it holds.
Whoever reads, would find a bit of themselves in there too.
It is his rebellious teens, a paranoid 20s to preparation of mid life crisis. His fears and anticipation of the future and what it holds.
Whoever reads, would find a bit of themselves in there too.
July 1, 2019
The poems are riveting in the sense that it completely isolates you from your current state and let's you drift into the world of different colours and hues painted by the poet. It's an ensemble of anything and everything under the sun and stars. The book is worthy of multiple reads.
January 17, 2022
A short, sweet read that the author clearly has written not with any purpose other than for the sake of writing and for himself. Proper honesty.
October 17, 2020
The unique title of this collection and the elegance of its cover caught my attention. I was looking for some poetry to intersperse between all the prose, and “Obolus” stood out for its rave reviews. Varghese defines his writing as a refined version of abnormal musings on death, dreams, existence, life and myriad topics that he writes on, opting for poetry as a more cryptic form of writing to save his journal entries from prying eyes.
Obol was a form of ancient Greek currency, while Obolus is a modern Greek unit of weight equivalent to one tenth of a gram. I interpreted this collection as a series of seemingly simple musings – light in weight like the obolus, but filled with insight that leaves you pondering upon each poem after you read it. As a reader, I look for books that are different, showcasing the writer’s prowess in expressing art through the written word. Varghese’s poetry serves as a summary of his experiences as well as metaphors for life, taking you through a divine journey of birth, death, love, envy, religion; a wide range of circumstances and emotions, thoughts and feelings, while striking a chord that resonates with the reader – as if a poem has been dedicated to you, or written about you, or your own thoughts find themselves in front of you. The poems are short but beautifully written, his command over the language on full display through witty word play and even one-line poems. The themes are random, with varying lengths and styles, differing viewpoints, intimate as well as imagined, somehow bringing coherence to this poetic universe despite the lack of relation between each poem.
As a book, Obolus is a quick read, but it’s the writer’s skill in his craft that makes you linger on his writing, even revisiting his words after finishing the book. In the author’s note, Varghese mentions music and metaphors as things he holds dear, which is very apparent in his lyrical poetry – prose, poetry and music woven together, like reading a song or watching a painting with its plethora of colors. Some of my favorites are Paracosm, Vesper, Moon’s Grief, Wasteland, The Only Ally, Poker Face, The Sheep Goes Baa, Skirmish, Enemy. Read this if you like poetry as a genre, or if you’re looking to be enticed with words in a simple but engrossing read.
Obol was a form of ancient Greek currency, while Obolus is a modern Greek unit of weight equivalent to one tenth of a gram. I interpreted this collection as a series of seemingly simple musings – light in weight like the obolus, but filled with insight that leaves you pondering upon each poem after you read it. As a reader, I look for books that are different, showcasing the writer’s prowess in expressing art through the written word. Varghese’s poetry serves as a summary of his experiences as well as metaphors for life, taking you through a divine journey of birth, death, love, envy, religion; a wide range of circumstances and emotions, thoughts and feelings, while striking a chord that resonates with the reader – as if a poem has been dedicated to you, or written about you, or your own thoughts find themselves in front of you. The poems are short but beautifully written, his command over the language on full display through witty word play and even one-line poems. The themes are random, with varying lengths and styles, differing viewpoints, intimate as well as imagined, somehow bringing coherence to this poetic universe despite the lack of relation between each poem.
As a book, Obolus is a quick read, but it’s the writer’s skill in his craft that makes you linger on his writing, even revisiting his words after finishing the book. In the author’s note, Varghese mentions music and metaphors as things he holds dear, which is very apparent in his lyrical poetry – prose, poetry and music woven together, like reading a song or watching a painting with its plethora of colors. Some of my favorites are Paracosm, Vesper, Moon’s Grief, Wasteland, The Only Ally, Poker Face, The Sheep Goes Baa, Skirmish, Enemy. Read this if you like poetry as a genre, or if you’re looking to be enticed with words in a simple but engrossing read.
April 3, 2020
Obolus is a kind of book you would love to keep in your personal library. It is a beautiful collection of poems, where each one is unique in its own way and the thoughts behind each one of it is appreciable. These are some of my favourites among all:
#Paracosm: A lot relatable one. My childhood was full of imagining fantasy world. I'd an imaginary brother. :P
#Six Strings Solace: Written so well. Not many people understand the power of music.
#Enemy: "My world is better without me" and "I wasn't dead but I was done". Such powerful statements
#The sheep goes baa: The thoughts are good and well put in. It talks about the consequences of being materialistic.
#Poker Face: The ultimate truth 👍🏼
#Bullet: Relatable thoughts
#Hope: So True
#Moon's Grief: Really good one
Other than the ones mentioned, I also loved Awkward Silence, Blame it all on me, Under, Death and Certainty, Gods.
#Paracosm: A lot relatable one. My childhood was full of imagining fantasy world. I'd an imaginary brother. :P
#Six Strings Solace: Written so well. Not many people understand the power of music.
#Enemy: "My world is better without me" and "I wasn't dead but I was done". Such powerful statements
#The sheep goes baa: The thoughts are good and well put in. It talks about the consequences of being materialistic.
#Poker Face: The ultimate truth 👍🏼
#Bullet: Relatable thoughts
#Hope: So True
#Moon's Grief: Really good one
Other than the ones mentioned, I also loved Awkward Silence, Blame it all on me, Under, Death and Certainty, Gods.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 24, 2021
Look at yourself.. your are a mirrorful of miracle
Look at yourself.. you are a mirror for a miracle.
I got the chills so many time towards the end of this book. It completely blew my mind and it manage to surpass my high expectations.
This book will take you through a roller coaster ride with lot of love, laughter and emotions.
The rhymes are exquisite. I found it amazing and worth reading with the lessons to take from it are still powerful. Loved it! I want to sample some more books by this fine author and his illustrators.
Look at yourself.. you are a mirror for a miracle.
I got the chills so many time towards the end of this book. It completely blew my mind and it manage to surpass my high expectations.
This book will take you through a roller coaster ride with lot of love, laughter and emotions.
The rhymes are exquisite. I found it amazing and worth reading with the lessons to take from it are still powerful. Loved it! I want to sample some more books by this fine author and his illustrators.
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May 9, 2020Obolus... What should i say..wonderful poems Roshan. It is book though short, its very sweet and powerful at the same time. Even though not seen you in person but could see you in ur poems. Some poems are very true as i read in one of the reviews ,can definitely relate to our daily moods and thoughts. Well all my best wishes to you Roshan, keep writing and entice us with ur words and mesmerise us.
November 18, 2019
A plethora of beautifully rendered thought processes coined into experiential words that take form of a memory in the mind. Truly truly written from the heart and a must read. A few of my personal favorites include Lune, Meteor, Colour of Love, Heaven and Hell and there are many more. For the hopeless artist inside you, these poems shall definitely inspire.
August 15, 2020
Roshan I have read book...I really liked it and most was "blame it all on me" part just felt like real...all the words used seems to felt like real
March 14, 2021
Obolus is like my favourite snack that I indulge in a bit everyday. The set of poems strike a chord with me. Sometimes amuse me and at times just flow like butter. Definitely recommending this one!!
February 22, 2022
Really loved it. Well put up emotionally.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews