Title: 22 Tunnel LightsAuthor: Shorouq Arafa
Publication: November 10th 2021
Genre: Poetry
Find it on: Amazon
Rating: 4/5★
A collection of poetry split into 22 thought-provoking chapters. Each chapter aims to shine a light on the vast emotions experienced and lessons learned in relation to the chapter’s topic.
As travelers through the tunnel that is life, we often carry our hearts and minds in cages. Shorouq’s escape through these pages, and in this book she writes about them. They, who help you see when life gets dark. They, who help you put two and two together. They are the 22 Tunnel Lights that make you see how it was never about the light at the end of the tunnel. Rather, it was always about the journey itself.
This year I’ve gotten more and more into poetry collections and 22 Tunnel Lights by Shorouq Arafa is yet another one that I enjoyed a lot. The collection contains 22 chapters that have different topics and within those chapters there were the poems relating to those topics. I really liked that!
All the poems in this collection were thought-provoking but easy to read as well as easy to understand, which I know is another bonus for readers who don’t read a lot of poetry in general or have trouble understanding some poetry. My favorite chapter was the chapter Blue (which just happens to be my favorite color), because it contained the poems I could find myself the most in.
Another great surprise about this book were the illustrations that were also made by the author herself. They were simple and straightforward but also cute and always fitting with the particular poem it was paired with. The poems combined with the illustrations definitely made this book stand out to other poetry collections. I just really love illustrations!
If you’re looking for short and sweet poetry that goes into a bunch of different topics like emotions, loving yourself, hopes, dreams and more than 22 Tunnel Lights is absolutely a must-read.
About the author:
Shorouq Arafa is an author, illustrator & engineer living in Cairo, Egypt. Despite pursuing technical studies, she often found herself automatically stepping back into her writer shoes. Writing allowed her to express and, most importantly, understand herself and the world better. Ideas escape her mind and land softly onto the pages, imitating the ink that escapes her pen onto the papers. They leave traces of her thoughts behind for the world to have a look.
Shorouq’s writing is greatly influenced by the different cultures and lifestyles she experienced while growing up as a foreigner in Saudi Arabia. Unapologetically exploring new areas in life, both professionally and personally, she has faith that life takes one to places they need to be at the right time. Believing that life is a cocktail of experiences that we should learn to enjoy, she developed a deeper vision into the meaning of situations we encounter throughout our lives and the emotions resulting from such events. In her books, she tells us about what she sees – and how some things change us forever. Her writing encourages readers to traverse mental paths through which they can help themselves, and their loved ones, change to the better.
“We only break, to remake.”
I haven’t read a lot of poetry but I do love seeing poetry reviews. I love that these have illustrations and wow, the author looks so young!
Too bad I don’t read poetry!
I love that this comes with illustrations. I don’t read poetry, but I should definitely give it a try some day!