Ode to Peeling an Orange by Dominique Ahkong
“When she sucked juice from her cuts, // that, too was comfort. Nothing was wasted, // of course.” — Dominique Ahkong
spell for reclaiming the moment by adrienne maree brown
“we could be another’s blessing / with our brief and epic lives” — adrienne maree brown
The One Thing by Pádraig Ó Tuama
“And he must have found a little window, / opened it – and shouted through it – / that saving sound that saved me.” — Pádraig Ó Tuama
Life by Abdellatif Laâbi
“Life / is nothing short of a miracle / that nobody sees” — Abdellatif Laâbi
For Tess by Raymond Carver
“I opened my eyes then and got right up / and went back to being happy again. / I'm grateful to you, you see. I wanted to tell you.” — Raymond Carver
I Went Out to Hear by Leila Chatti
“My God. How lucky to have lived / a life I would die for.” — Leila Chatti
Praying by Mary Oliver
“just / pay attention, then patch / a few words together and don’t try / to make them elaborate” — Mary Oliver
[God gave a Loaf to every Bird —] by Emily Dickinson
“God gave a Loaf to every Bird— / But just a Crumb— to Me— / I dare not / eat it—” — Emily Dickinson
It’s A Lot by Jon Sands
“It's a lot to not get your feelings hurt, / to let emotions pass through you, / to see your mother look like your grandmother. / It's all very necessary, but it's still a lot—” — Jon Sands
There You Are by Victoria Adukwei Bulley
“these things you do / which, although you haven’t said it yet, / say that you want to live.” — Victoria Adukwei Bulley