Bobby: Seeing the world through a poet’s creative eye

There are writers who are good with words, and then there are writers who seem to see the world differently. Bobby has always belonged to the second category for me.

I had the pleasure of working with Bobby, and he was undoubtedly one of the finest writers I have known. Whether it was the first idea on a page or the challenge of developing it into a long copy, he brought an instinct, imagination and command of language that made him a class apart.

So, seeing him launch his book of poetry at a lovely evening at Le Sutra, with a room full of friends and family, was particularly special. The packed room said as much about the man as it did about the writer. Bobby is clearly someone who is deeply loved, and that affection was palpable through the evening.

I have been a fan of his writing for a long time. But reading this collection made me discover another side of him. This is Bobby at his most personal, reflective and poetic.

What struck me most is the extraordinary range of the poems. Some come from deeply personal spaces, while others seem to reach towards thoughts and truths that belong to all of us. There are poems that deal with moments of great consequence, sitting alongside poems that find meaning in the smallest details of life.

And yet, despite this variety, there is something that connects them all: they make you pause.

You read a poem and find yourself lingering over a line. Perhaps it reminds you of something you have experienced. Perhaps it makes you notice an emotion you have felt but never quite put into words. Or perhaps it simply makes you look at an ordinary moment in a completely different way.

That is a rare ability.

Bobby possesses the kind of artistic eye that can find meaning in places most of us would simply pass by. But seeing something is only half the gift. The real magic lies in his ability to translate what he sees into words that allow the reader to see it too.

His writing is evocative without feeling forced. Emotional without becoming sentimental. And often, remarkably simple in its expression.

One of the poems I particularly loved is Old. Love.

Once we were waves,
me chasing you.
We hit the shore,
then we were water.
We crested white flowers
on the rocks…

It is only a few lines, but look at how much they leave behind. The image of two waves, the chase, the meeting with the shore and the transformation into water becomes something much more than a description of the sea. It begins to speak about love, relationships, time and what remains after a moment has passed.

That is what I found myself experiencing throughout the book. Each poem has its own identity, its own thought and its own creative expression. Yet each carries the unmistakable quality of a writer who is not merely putting words together, but reaching into something deeply felt.

There are poems here to read quickly, and there are poems that deserve to be returned to. Some will make you smile. Others may make you introspect. A few might even make you remember something you had forgotten.

Perhaps that is the real measure of poetry: not how much it tells you, but what it makes you feel and discover within yourself.

Bobby’s words have always had that power for me. In this book, that power feels even more pronounced.

These poems are pure art, and I would rather not give too much away. Take Old. Love. as an invitation. Read those opening lines, and then find a quiet moment to discover the rest for yourself.

Bobby, my friend, here’s to many more moments finding their way to you, being transformed by your touch, and eventually finding their way to all of us.

Already waiting for the next one. ❤️

Sonal Dabral is a multi-award-winning creative consultant and film director, and the Founder of Tribha