Saqib Rana ’19 University of Maryland, Public Health Science at USG

A year ago, when I was a senior at the University of Maryland, College Park in the Public Health Science program at the Universities at Shady Grove (USG), I never thought I would self-publish a book of my poetry only months after graduating. The poems in this book, ‘The Story of Life, In a Tale of Words’, were not written with the intent to be part of a book. They were written because I poured my feelings and emotions out on paper when no other form of expression would allow me to chronicle how I felt about certain things, as these feelings and emotions were as eager stallions running wildly in my heart and vehemently through my soul. If I felt it, I wrote about it. If I saw it, I wrote about it. If I cared about it, I wrote about it. If it kindled the heartstrings at my core, I wrote about it. I had to. Because all the things I believe to be important to life- to my life, to your life, and to the lives of all who have come before us since the beginning of time- are the instruments of goodness in life that are there to help us and guide us as a people. And if I strive for this goodness, if I aspire that this goodness shines like the sun in a world that is full of darkness, then I make it my duty to reach those who care about this goodness, reach those who care about what is right in life, with my words. And the realization for and care for that duty is the origin story of how poems I was writing simply to express what I cared about and that initially I thought were not linked became pieces to a puzzle, parts to a whole, that became the story-poem ‘The Story of Life, In a Tale of Words’.

If interested, below is the back-cover description that delves deeper into the contents of the book:

“Why is there so much pain in the world? Why is there no peace? So many people around the world are dying, hurting, suffering, and yearning for hope, freedom, justice, and peace. Why have we failed to help them? Why have we failed each other? Do we truly understand each other? Why do we still fight? Where is the love we speak of but fail to embody?

The Story of Life, In a Tale of Words is a story-poem meant to reverberate the heartstrings of goodness within us. The Story of Life, In a Tale of Words strives to relinquish the curtain over our hearts that causes us to hate instead of love. We are all lost, we are all in pain, and we are all broken. But that pain is precisely what bonds us as a people, as kindred kind. The Story of Life, In a Tale of Words serves as a beacon of hope to remind us that together, we can help each other end the pain in all our hearts and in the world. Together.

Open your heart to the Story of Life, and it will open its heart to you.”

Available on Amazon now! Furthermore, a significant portion of the profits go towards helping those in need.