‘Songs of Suicide’: Poetry that Touches your Heart!

The collection of poems that evoke strong emotions are based on the personal experiences of writer and poet, Onkar Sharma

By Rahul Koul

The short poetry book, ‘Songs of Suicide’ acts as a medium to give shape to the reluctant thoughts that most of us go through at least once in our lives. The poems that bare open our weakest moments and deepest fears have been written by Onkar Sharma, who has given wings to his feelings that fly high and free. The set of powerful poems is full of words that talk about life, its ironies and people in different situations. The middle class, working women, children, all of them get their due place.

There are few poems that expose the underbelly of modern life burdened by necessity of unwanted luxuries. One such poem, ‘The Last Cigarette’ is a tribute to middle class Indians caught between the dreams of making it big and the money they own to the lenders. Choked in the urban spaces, life becomes a slave to hoarding fake happiness from impulsive purchases on credit cards.

The opening lines of poem, ‘Woman in the Metro,’ will surely make men who travel in the metro everyday smile for a few moments. The futile search for love from unknown may give thrills but remains elusive and perhaps is an illusion.

The poem, ‘The Last Words’ tells us about last wishes of a suicidal person besides a lot about relationships in the modern context. The compelling use of words has all the probability of making your eyes moist.

‘Let My Journey Be My Destination’ is one of my favorite from the collection. It reminds us about enjoying the life’s journey itself and not limit our happiness with hypothetical destination which could turn out to be a disappointment. It leaves you wondering whether worrying about so called goals should be the only key to satisfaction.

The poet is trying to convey the message that there is nothing called as perfect life which in fact is a mystery to mankind. While our aspirations and dreams may not get fulfilled always, the idea should be to win the battle of life with our own set of rules. And these would be to try and remain in the state of happiness and satisfaction within the means available to us.

Onkar has been brutally honest about the experiences he had during his mother’s struggle with painful psychiatric condition. He also talks about his own story of winning over suicidal thoughts he had developed during his school days. The poetry, therefore, is an ode to the people who fight their demons and tide over them despite negativity. The poems also bring forth the message for society that we must be empathetic to people suffering from psychological problems. There is a need to listen to people and win their trust so that they can confide their darkest fears with you.

This kind of poetry appeals to those who are inquisitive about life and its ironies. I am sure the readers who have a knack for such honest writings will love it.

I would like to give the book a five star rating. Highly recommended for all poetry lovers.

Rahul Koul is a New Delhi based Journalist. The views expressed here are completely writer’s own.