I talk about rereading this book in this reading wrap-up!

This is such a brilliant collection, filled with heart and meaning, all in such a limited amount of words. I'm amazed at how much Waheed can communicate on a couple of lines and in a handful of words. She captures entire experiences and complicated emotions with a sentence and a title. It left me in awe on a number of occasions.

I didn't always understand the formatting choices. Sometimes, she breaks up lines in such a way to emphasize specific words or add some rhythm to her words. Other times it felt too choppy and it disturbed the meaning of the poems for me. Clearly, though, I still gave this five stars because it deserves it. I also have a feeling that the format things I didn't like would feel better upon reread and this is certainly a collection I mean to reread.

i don't pay attention to the
world ending.
it has ended for me
many times
and began again in the morning.

we lay
in our country.
love makes us a homeland
- bed

if someone
does not want me
it is not the end of the world.
but
if I do not want me.
the world is nothing but endings

i think one
of the most pathological
things i have ever seen
is
stabbing
someone
and
then telling them that
their
pain and anger
over being stabbed
is
making you sad.
- white guilt