This book is like a warm coffee
that soothes and rejuvenates you from inside out.
The Blurb:
This
day, Today, when looked at from the window of Future; Wouldn't it seem golden?
But today it feels like just another day. Why does all this preciousness have
to pass to be seen? Why can't it get its due while it lives? Unfortunately,
that's the way it has always been. The Future seems to hold a certain value for
The Past. But the present seems to be like an unfinished coin. It's still
incomplete to derive any worth. The poems in this collection 'The Camphor Of
Night' are little things stolen from life which found their way to a treasury
box in which they lay locked for years until these little things developed a
life of their own and hence they need to be set free, because now is their time
to breathe.
Excerpt:
Titled: Shivers
In those moments,
When I think,
Of his lips on
yours...
His skin against
yours...
...Little deaths,
Of something I felt
once,
Arrive,
To stay in shivers of
my petty heart...
Page: 70
The Review:
''Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words''
-Robert Frost
Writing poetry is therapeutic and the mightiest weapon
of those who can express their hearts with the choicest of words. To read
poetry is, living hundreds of emotions and often coming across your own thought
that could not find words. Reading Samir's poetry took me back in time and
inspired me to pen-down the lingering ones. It took me quite a while to finish
this book because I wanted to absorb it than just going through it. Let's talk
about the book without any further ado.
The Reviewer's Heart…
Few years back, I had
read Samir's debut poetry book titled ''Postcards from Memory'' which was an
absolute delight so when I got an opportunity to review yet another poetry
collection by the poet, I knew I am going to relish it to the bits and pieces.
'The Camphor of Night' by Samir Satam is a
collection of eighty-nine heartwarming verses, divided among different moods.
The collection begins with Blues- adhering to ballads of a
hopeless lover in disguise. It talks about the left behind stories, a
photographer whose camera couldn't love someone else, a loner with ruins of
broken home, constantly accumulating letters in an abandoned house and a few
more, but the one I absolutely loved is- Homesickness.
No matter how far you
go,
There's this
homesickness
That keeps tugging at
your heart,
To come back...
...not to your
wardrobe or refrigerator,
But wherever that one
person is...
Because,
Home is never about
roof and walls?
How true is that! Homesickness has never been about
the home but the people in it. Next few poems under The language of
love takes the reader on a journey where love can bloom from the
littlest of things and from the strangest of places. Poem titled Missing
Piece made me go Aww, literally!
When the doorbell
rings
I already know who it
is,
Fatigued...
...after a long day
at work,
Straight into my
arms,
Here comes my missing
piece
Drifting Souls, as the name suggests,
has set of poems on stagnant relationship, separation of lovers, an attempt of
loving someone else only to fall back in love with the 'Ex', the unforgettable
name of the lover etched deep and clear until the last breath, grave possessiveness
and fake promises that are more perilous than anything else.
Waiting Room showcase poems
talking about the endless despair of holding onto someone who would never come
back and the monotonous saga of rumors, small towns and junk music that will continue
to go on without a speck of change.
This collection
further explores the power of Individualism by
finding oneself and setting oneself apart from the prejudices and social
stigma. Harsh Realities captures a brilliant analogy of
Airports and Hospitals. Yet another powerful piece is Mannequins that
projects this world a 'showcase' and us wearing the wares of others'
ideologies, morals and religions. Cityscape talks about how a
city so dear becomes a strange to dwell in all of a sudden without 'that
one person'. The poem titled Constipated City is
about agony of city life with flooded lanes, floating vehicles, empty platforms
and passengers turning into prisoners. Unaccustomed, Music and
Nomads have some outstanding compositions the beauty of which cannot
be justified in an explanation. Quoting a few lines from the poem Fading
Away that left me thinking for a quite good time-
Life is a process of
fading away,
Continuously ...
Consistently...
While arriving aren't
we departing?
From some place to
somewhere else!
While living aren't
we dying?
One millisecond at a
time!
In his poems, Samir
has beautifully created the images and brought life to the characters through
mere words. His ability to weave unsettling emotions and acknowledgement of the
same reflects his balanced sensitive and rational side. The poet majorly writes
in free verse. The usage of metaphors and personification shows his creativity
and strong imagination power. Even for someone who recently developed an
interest in poetry can enjoy this book equally owing to the simple, short and
crisp compositions. This book is a treasure full with gems of words and
juxtaposed emotions.
What I liked?
At first, the title
'The Camphor of Night' intrigued me but by the time I finished reading the
book, I could already feel the thoughts and emotions out of it lingering for a
few days, because there are a few poems that felt like my own story from past
and present. The crisp, white and perfectly aligned pages are comforting to
hold, touch and read.
What I disliked?
I didn't feel like
ending the book, wish it had a few more poems. So yes, hoping Samir will come
up with another book soon.
Why should one read
this book?
These crisp, short
and simple poems are a sure short to win your heart and seamlessly connect you
to one of those memory lanes you crossed but never forgotten. If you write or
love to read poetry, I recommend you to go ahead with this one without any second
thoughts.
Rating:
Blurb: 4/5
Description: 4/5
Writing Style: 5/5
Editing: 4/5
Book Cover: 5/5
Overall Rating: 4.5
/5
Book Details:
Title: The Camphor of
Night
Author: Samir Satam
Genre: Poetry
Type: Paperback
Publisher: Anybook
Language: English
Pages: 119
Year of Publication:
2018
Price: 150 INR
Buy: Amazon Paperback
Stars… To this
heartwarming, a ride back to the memory lane, ecstasy and sublime emotions, I
give a 4.5-star rating. Recommended to poetry lovers.
I am glad to read and
review it. The opinions expressed in the review are my own, and remain unbiased
and uninfluenced. I have given a 4.5-star rating on Goodreads and Amazon as I
felt nothing less than that would be fair.
Seems you have enjoyed reading this book... Looking forward to read it :) very well reviewed I must say 😋
ReplyDeleteYou're always the best when it comes to literature. 😊
ReplyDeleteSuch a nice and great review of the book.
After reading this sample poems, I would like to read the whole book. The title also look amazing. Desperately waiting to read this book. though i love friendship and i wrote too many post about friendship in quiz form, but i love to read poem also. The price is also reasonable. I will goto amazon through your link and will buy this book soon. thank you.
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