How Odisha's Devasmita Panda wrote a book full of poems in the very first draft  

Poetry is as spontaneous as it gets with Devasmita Panda. Sometimes creativity strikes at 5 am in the morning or at 10 pm at night or anytime in between. It's all about when the feeling is right and that's why her poetry connects, she feels. And with Pink and Blues, her first published collection of 40 poems, she wants to connect with her readers through just that - feelings. And just like feelings, poetry is a part and parcel of her life. "It's part of my daily life," says the poet, matter-of-factly.

The book is full of poems about feelings that everyone has gone through, hence, everyone will connect to it

Devasmita Panda. Poetess

The book has been a year and a half in the making now and every poem has made it to the book as it was written in the first draft. "What sparks the feeling that makes me put that pen to paper the first time is raw and fresh. It can't be edited the next time around, it just disturbs the flow," says the Bhubaneshwar-born poet. And staying true to her spontaneity, there isn't a common theme running through the poems. While one poem was written as a dedication to a friend going through a tough time, another was written at 6 am in the morning just because the view from her window was perfect - just the right intensity of wind blowing to make the trees rustle and leaves fall. 

First glance: The cover of Devasmita's first book

Above all else, it was her father's dream to publish a book someday and now, he gets to live vicariously through her. She is proud of the fact that she could fulfil her father's dream for him.