“slow burn” by Renite Manisha Gosal
Poetry Pause is the League of Canadian Poets’ daily poetry dispatch. Read “slow burn” by Renite Manisha Gosal.
Slow Burn
By Renite Manisha Gosal
i. medication for grief residing in these bones;
ii. an antidote to apathy on days I forget why I walk this earth
candlelit laughing fits on august evenings,
salt on my lips, the heat of the sun in my hair,
flowers at my doorstep.
swimming in grief,
hands hold me up to the waterline.
submerged in navy seas,
loved ones keep me from drowning.
crying on shoulders beneath stars as waves crash.
hands intertwined on bitter winter afternoons,
scribbled lines on notepads,
creating art from chaos.
exploring forests, playing in damp sand.
drenched in rain, the city draped in a grey blanket.
gooey, sap-filled words dance between blue lines.
language – my first love.
community – the loves who never let me forget
to wake up, remember why I am here, and write.
Copyright © Renite Manisha Gosal
Renite Manisha Gosal is a writer and facilitator passionate about living, healing, and human rights. She has performed and been published in zines in Canada and the United Kingdom. Her work weaves her positionality in the world, and mental health training to contemplate life’s darkness, and the joy of the mundane. To explore her work, visit her website at renitemanisha.com or connect with her on Instagram at @renitemanisha.
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