Metamorphosis: A Poetic Journey Through Grief, Growth, and Grace

In her soul-baring poetry collection Metamorphosis (2024), Sarika Jaswani leads readers through a deeply personal odyssey of loss, healing, and transformation. Released via Amazon’s KDP platform, this self-published collection unites free-verse poetry with the author’s own hand-drawn sketches, creating a multi-sensory experience that explores the complex terrain of emotional rebirth.

Thematic Core: A Journey of Self-Discovery

Jaswani describes Metamorphosis as “a journey of self-discovery”—a phrase that encapsulates the essence of the collection. Her poems navigate liminal emotional spaces: the aching transition from grief to healing, the silence between goodbye and acceptance, and the fragile moments of rediscovered strength. Nature metaphors, body imagery, and artistic symbols abound throughout the work, weaving a tapestry of transformation.

Style and Voice: Intimate, Visual, Freeing

Jaswani’s voice is unflinching yet gentle, crafting intimate snapshots of internal struggle and awakening. She often employs visceral imagery—blood, feathers, vines, stitching—to depict wounds, both physical and emotional. Her tone is conversational, with enjambment mimicking the rhythm of the mind processing trauma.

Each poem is paired with a minimalist line sketch that mirrors the mood or message of the verse. These drawings do not merely decorate but expand the poetic landscape, offering an emotional echo for readers to engage visually.

Standout Piece: “Between Two Ferns”

Among the most powerful pieces in the collection is “Between Two Ferns,” originally published as part of the All About My Mother series. Here, Jaswani evokes the pain of witnessing a loved one’s final moments via a hospital screen:

“I roll hours on prayer beads
Between drips of IV, hiss of ventilators sway your masked breaths
Pixelated screen once had slimmed distances now fails to meet the grudge for not holding your hands
I yell ‘I LOVE YOU’ over and over again”

The emotional weight of these lines is matched by the imagined accompanying sketch: two ferns nearly touching, separated by an invisible divide. The poem captures the brutal tenderness of pandemic-era goodbyes and highlights Jaswani’s ability to distill universal grief into deeply personal lines.

Comparison to Earlier Works

While Metamorphosis carries the emotional depth of Jaswani’s earlier pieces like “Sauvignon Night” and “Pen Muses,” it marks a notable maturation. Her earlier work often explored themes of identity and creativity through metaphor and wit. Here, the emotional stakes are higher, the tone rawer. The voice remains recognizably hers, but with greater clarity and spiritual vulnerability.