Caught Between Binaries
Suman Bhagchandani
WHIMSICAL POETRY: FICTION & REALITY by Syeda Javeria Fatima Notion Press, 2022, 52 pp., 145.00
December 2022, volume 46, No 12

We live in a country where;

Democracy cries,

Unity ultimately divides.

Syeda Javeria Fatima’s collection of poems is not as whimsical as the title suggests; in fact, it is quite the opposite. Written in simple rhyme schemes, the poems voice the observations of a child’s world which has been marred by experiences too mature for her. Divided into sections that range from spiritual belief to romantic love, and her mother’s sacrificial omnipresence for her family members to friends that include her schoolmates and her grandparents, Fatima’s poems are a gamut of emotions both personal and relatable at the same time.

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