Paper Heart – Boomie Bol

This book is a debut poetry collection that centers on life in three parts – love, loss, and healing. It looks at love in its many different elements; nature, family, motherhood, sex, self-love, and more. Then shifts focus to the inevitable aspects of loss, grief, heartbreaks, disappointments, abuse, and more. Finally, it lends itself to life’s possibilities of rebirth. Here it touches on healing in various forms; kindness, forgiveness, joy, forward thinking, meditation, and faith.

With an introduction that shows the author’s intent, fellow blogger Boomie Bol seeks to make a connection with each reader, and have her poems infuse into the reader’s life and hopefully be remembered at a time that they are required.

At its core, Paper Heart is a celebration of women, and also women of colour. Boomie’s poems are unapologietic and unashamed, she lays out her innermost feelings and this reader found himself appreciative for the insight into the author’s world and mind and thought process.

The poems are short and punchy, some serious, some playful, sexy, always honest and to the point.  What I found most interesting about the collection was that with each poem explored, I reshaped my perception of the Boomie Bol that I had previously formed.

I like the style of the writing, it’s raw, honest, intimate and unrestricted.  At it’s core Paper Heart is a humble but unblinking look into Boomie’s experiences. The stories she tells form a bridge between poet and reader which is very rewarding.