Axiom of Oomph Review: Poems inked from the heart

Book title: Axiom of Oomph

Genre: Anthology of Poems (Poetry)

Author/Poet: Parna Banerjee Sarkar

Publisher: All About Books Global

Cover design: by Radhika Gooptu

Pages: 120

Price: Rs 200

Review: ‘Axiom of Oomph’ is the debut book by Kolkata-based school teacher Parna Banerjee Sarkar. It is an anthology of poems which cover a mélange of genres and travel through a host of emotions. If you love to flip through poems, then this book will definitely satisfy you. One reason for that is the absurd command which the author enjoys over the language and the vocabulary. Some of the phrases are woven with such ease that young learners and budding poets can take inspiration from the book.

“I am a refugee

My only belongings are my heart and soul”

The above lines are heart-rending and also point at the poet’s effortless ability to play with words.

Sarkar also explores some trivial issues of relationships and doesn’t shy away from meandering onto tabooed topics. These lines attest to this claim:

“‘Does my bum look big in this?’ she glared

I gulped and stared upon the floor

I must escape the bedroom door…….”

Moon has featured in several of her poems and it is no surprise. This celestial object has from eternity been the object of inspiration for poets penning romantic tragedies. There is something about the moon which can always be associated with the anguish of isolation.

These lines from the poem ‘A Celestial Body’ not just objectify moon but also present it as an object of desire:

“Ohhh!! Lovely Urana..

Bestow me with your love

Make me your roomie for one night

Give me a challenge to have a ‘one night stand’….”

Most of the poems will live up to your expectation and many would exceed them. A few poems or a few lines may betray a hint of inconsistency or may look mediocre or amateur. These highlight that even an accomplished person has to go through the pangs of the writer’s block.

All in all, it is an excellent book of poetry. You can read it during leisure times or even go through it while sipping your morning coffee or when the rain is tapping on your dewy windows. These poems, after all, seem to be inked from the blood extracted from the heart.  

PS- You may not like the book if you don’t read/write poems.

~Ritesh Agarwal

Email: ritzy182000@gmail.com