Top of the Water

Human time converges

On a focal point.

Can the surgical precision

Be mastered to full attention?

Atul Ranchod’s poems capture the astounding breadth of the human experience. The poet, traveler, and hotelier has been around the globe and spoken with people from all different backgrounds. His personal journey has taken him from South Africa to Italy to Southern California.

Ranchod’s work celebrates not only the unique aspects of each person’s life but also the universal themes that tie all of us together. Several of the poems focus on how time affects perspective and vice versa. The first poem in his collection, “Master Gardener,” uses plant metaphors to examine the grace and the tragedy of life, “from bud to bloom.” His last poem, “Human Time,” also pushes back against a linear narrative to show the intensity of the human experience. Other poems present different perspectives on love, life, aging, and death.

Despite the serious subject matter, Ranchod keeps his work light and inspiring. He urges you to notice the special moments and special people in your own life. Poetry, he believes—like love, like life—is meant to be shared.

During his twenty years as a hotelier, poet Atul Ranchod traveled the world and met people from all walks of life.

Ranchod was born in South Africa, studied in Italy, and currently lives in a small town in Southern California. He enjoys writing poetry, cycling, playing golf, taking photos, and playing chess.