Choki Wangmo

Melody of Simple Chords is Namgyel Wangchuk’s attempt at searching for joy in simple things. In more than 100 pages, the writer gives a glimpse into life—experiences, observations, and lessons—through poems.

Just like a simple chord goes into making the most beautiful music, Namgyel hopes his life lessons would resonate with the readers—impermanence and death are constant and resounding themes.

The writer identifies himself as a mindful trainer and practitioner.




And, readers can’t help but see that Namgyel is a keen observer, and a good one at that. Most importantly, he presents his observations in the simplest of ways.

Readers can see a clear transition from a child to a man—thoughts mature and the writer’s compositions achieve greater depth line by line, page by page.

Dreams and aspirations shape our lives. However, one must come to terms with the reality and make hard choices.

A poem in the book, A Child and A Man, is so clear a picture of a ragged philosopher that we all become at one of our lives: “…a man has mistakes to mend from his past, and hopes and wishes for the uncertain future, there are success and triumphs to celebrate, and lesson to learn from the failures.”




Imagine the book as a beautiful fabric—opportunities missed, regrets, and hopes are veins and patterns that make it. Dark days come and so do the brighter ones. The choice one must make is whether to see only the dark side of life.

“Most of my poems point towards goodness in a person, and also what is unacceptable for harmony, relationships, and mutual progress,” said Namgyel.

What inspired deep soul-searching?




Namgyel loved writing and he read a lot. He still does both fervently. “I write down my thoughts and work on them later. This has helped me see things in a bigger perspective, be positive and also see what’s good out there, not just be annoyed about negative sights and sounds.”

Poetics continue to evolve; the writer labours too hard in the technicalities at times.

The book, which can greatly inspire budding Bhutanese poets, is available in local bookstores.