You are so beautiful, but I’m sorry if sometimes I don’t know whether it’s a mask or not. I saw a man rip his skin off right in front of me once. And now sometimes when I run my hands over you, I look for corners that lift. It’s just a habit.
I want to love you wholly. I will one day. Please be patient with me.
Pangaea just came out on the 8th of Feb and was published by Central Avenue Publishing! Of course, I’d seen the book in their newsletter and had my eye on it (I adored that cover), so when Hinnah reached out I was so excited! So yes, I did get the book from the author. But I know the kind of poetry I vibe with and I am absolutely a harsh critic of things.
That being said, I genuinely liked the collection, which is based on her experiences as a young brown woman in the states.
she tells me we are
blessed to have a home
on both ends of the world
and i tell her it is a curse
to not belong to
either of them
She’s a really good writer, and her poems made me hurt at times, which is why it took me a while to read it. It’s really is an intensely personal collection, and explores trauma in great detail, whether that’s because of a lover or because of the world you live in.
I’m definitely going to be checking out more of her poetry in the future, and I urge you all to do the same!