Quarters

Journal pages empty under midnight moon, flesh awaiting the knife. My head curls into my belly until my spine breaks . . .

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آب را گل نکنیم: Let us not Muddy the Water by Sohrab Sepehri

I am studying Creative Writing at the University of Arizona and, in a nod to my heritage, I am learning Persian as a second language. As part of the department’s end-of-year Persian showcase, my professor invited me to translate a contemporary Iranian poem into English and learn the original poem in Persian.

Because of how timeless the poem is and how poignant its message is even today, I hope you will enjoy this translation of Sohrab Sepehri’s poem آب را گل نکنیم, or Let us not Muddy the Water.

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Still Life with Gaza

It’s day six in Mexico and the coffee jar is empty. We walk down the dusty road to the restaurant as the sun cries in the ocean behind us, the beautiful ocean, seagulls crying . . .

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Blood Moon

He holds the world in his stomach. He holds a pomegranate that he breaks with hands the size of my feet . . .

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Poem Impending

I tied twilight in bunches with rosemary from the rafters. In summer I brewed it between copper and winter . . .

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Book Review: Waking up to Thrutopia by Conny Borgelioen

I am delighted to share a book review of Waking up to Thrutopia by Conny Borgelioen, a beautiful poetry and essay collection that, divided into three connected parts, chronicles the author’s struggle with a chronic illness.

This book serves as a means to work through the difficult times in search of some place that is better, and is not afraid to explore feelings related to mistakes, loneliness, and pain as it places dark moments within the context of their place in the world and invites the reader to become part of the poetic landscape raised in the writing.

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Pink Hydrangea

Coffee brews thick and foamy today with hints of equinox in the cream. It is a morning to sit and mourn with summer dew as sun sweeps the grass dry and the hydrangea flowers reach for September . . .

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Book Review: Whistler of Petty Crimes by Eileen Ike West

I recently had the pleasure of reading Eileen Ike West’s debut poetry collection, Whistler of Petty Crimes, and am delighted to share a book review of this transportive poetic narrative.

The poems in this book are not short as each one imparts a story that plays into the narrative of the author’s life from childhood to adulthood. The poetic landscapes are rich with emotion and imagery and the writing alive with a sense of lives lived.

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Book Review: In the Shadow of Rainbows by Selma Martin

In anticipation of Selma Martin’s debut poetry collection, In the Shadow of Rainbows, I am delighted to share an advanced review of this beautiful and moving poetry collection.

Each word reaches down into the reader and lays the foundation for something greater, something deeply personal, something that begins to heal. And as much as this book takes us into the shadows, it also takes us out into the light again and reminds us to step out into the sunshine again.

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