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4.48 AVERAGE
4.48 AVERAGE
An amazing collection of poetry from a trans Palestinian author. I dont rate nonfiction but if I did, this would be 5 🌟
Content Warnings
Moderate: Genocide, Transphobia
“if joy is revolutionary how much ecstasy do i need to free Palestine?”
this was the first book i decided to read for 2024’s trans rights readathon, and after reading this i truly believe that it is a must read for everyone. as someone who rarely picks up poetry i was hesitant because i wasn’t sure if i would be able to understand this as i felt was needed, however this was as accessible as it was powerful and moving. this was a truly heart shattering read that will stay with me forever.
absolutely everyone needs to pick this up at some point. i highly, highly recommend reading this as soon as possible.
this was the first book i decided to read for 2024’s trans rights readathon, and after reading this i truly believe that it is a must read for everyone. as someone who rarely picks up poetry i was hesitant because i wasn’t sure if i would be able to understand this as i felt was needed, however this was as accessible as it was powerful and moving. this was a truly heart shattering read that will stay with me forever.
absolutely everyone needs to pick this up at some point. i highly, highly recommend reading this as soon as possible.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
To those who dream of better worlds and
those who build them
these are the dedication lines in "Blood Orange," a gripping collection of poetry by Yaffa As, a queer Palestinian activist and all-round compassionate and fabuolous human. I often feel like the dedication of a book sets the tone, and this one struck me for its acknowledgement of both those who carry out the work of creating a better world, and those who dare to dream that better is possible [more often than not, this Venn diagram is a circle]. as I leaf through the pages, I see an interplay between these facets and more: the dreamer who sees and yearns for a world in which their homeland is free, the effector who is angry at the current system and dares to go out and demand better, the contemplator who wrestles with grief at the inhumanity of the genocides they are witnessing, a genocide of their own people.
there are no
days without
Palestine in a heart
that was told
it was wrong
to yearn for
something that
was supposedly never
mine
many poems gripped me and made me exclaim out loud with the sheer depth of emotion the author was able to evoke. My favourite parts of the book were the sharp, biting one-liners at the ends of some of the poems and the cutting emotions and references to imagery which holds both significant history and emotional weight [such as in the poem, "Every Fiber"].
some of the poems imbued modern language in a way that I was not quite used to when reading poetry, and I felt like this took me out of the collection sometimes. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, because the modernity also made it feel more accessible in a way that I enjoyed.
overall, this was a contemplative and sharp book of poetry. everything from the title of the collection to the writing therein was laden with emotion, symbolism, and some of my favourite one-liners in poetry ever.
UPDATE [Aug 2nd, 2025]: Upon re-read, I have found some poems that hit me harder than the first time I read them. This book made me think of injustices on a personal level and made me taste blood at the injustices I'm seeing on a larger scale. This book made my heart beat in fury, made my soul lament. the accessible writing points to the cries of a younger poet reckoning with the love and loss that has been passed down across generations and yearning for a home that is being eviscerated before their eyes. Yet this book sings of hope. it screams it. land takes us. this book is so earth shatteringly sad and beautiful and powerful. I'm so happy I started the Sealey challenge with this one.
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Really glad I finally got to reading this. I wish I could get everyone to read this book, I hope it’s changed someone after reading it. The media has tried forever to twist the narrative that Palestine has stolen Gaza but they had it first. It has always been theirs and I hope that one day they will be able to live there peacefully.
From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free.
From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free.
emotional
fast-paced
challenging
dark
medium-paced
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
okay, i literally grabbed this one from my tbr on a whim and it did not disappoint. i usually don't get teary-eyed when reading poetry but this one below did it for me:
Southwest
i don't know
if you're okay
names and faces
from years ago
family displaced
southwest rather than
southeast
lost at sea
in an open air prison
i may never see
i'm not sure
who to ask about
you, siblings to a
grandfather lost
to pandemics and time
children barely
remembering him
let alone you
the poems were truly devastating and so personal. so much meaning put into them. more people should read it if not everyone.
emotional
reflective
challenging
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
I think “Standing” was my favorite but ugh they were all so good.