POEMS: IS AMMA ANGRY?

Desai explores themes of mental health, fertility, nature, and writing in this collection of free-verse poetry.

The first thing you notice about the structure of the book is that the author has helpfully separated titled and untitled poems into themed sections. The opening section, “days fly like dandelion dust,” contemplates the speaker’s diagnoses of Bipolar Disorder and Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD). The speaker in the poem vacillates between extremes like “calm and calamity,” and is “sporadically suicidal.” But she finds solace watching birds and meditating outdoors in the “silent afternoons” section. Motherhood is a recurring theme throughout the book. The speaker yearns for another child, but a diagnosis of Premature Ovarian Failure (POF) and failed rounds of IVF weigh heavy on her. She sews “little things” and creates a “closet shrine” while awaiting a baby. Reflections on the friction between being a “feminist” and a “frenemy” demonstrate the many contradictions women embody in the “wo(e)man” section. The “bay” section finds the speaker cherishing wetlands and a barn picnic. While the “autopia” section laments the state of the world, the “u in verse” section paints poetry as a helpful outlet. Over the course of the book, the speaker appears to transform from a fraught, lost individual into a confident writer who celebrates her multifaceted nature. This thoughtful book of poems revels in the beauty of motherhood, the outdoors, wildlife, and words. Desai immerses readers in a refreshing natural landscape, uniquely capturing everything from “blackbirds, / red-winged / tint like a hint / like a brush of fire” to “that last yellow leaf / quivering / in the cold breath of air.” The poet’s depictions of mental health are precise and relatable, like how, when anhedonia strikes, “things once were fun / are no more / just numb.” However, the book is occasionally too self-referential, including a section titled “me,” and congratulations like, “my curations are uncommon” and “my thoughts are my masterpieces?!”

A pensive poetry collection that would benefit from more context throughout.