RISE ABOVE ALL ODDS
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RISE ABOVE ALL ODDS
1y ago
[Image Description: An old Indian woman sitting on the bus. Her hands are on the seat in front of her. We do not see her face.]
Photo by Cottonbro on Pexels
Poem by Tanvi Jeph
Nani
She had Dyed black hair mixed with some white hair A red bindi on her forehead placed symmetrically She used to drape a sari with a lot of patterns on it She was my nani, my grandmother, my friend
My nani used to make the best achaar that I ever had My palate still has that tangy flavour of her achaarAfterall it was mixed with love and selflessness of hers I have bitter-sweet memories ..read more
RISE ABOVE ALL ODDS
1y ago
[Image Description: Photo of a night sky through the trees, showing the milky way and purple light sky. The forest is dark.]
Photo by Kaye Meister
Poem by Sydney Lei
Canvas of the Night
Night is a feeling, a feeling
where all matter ebbs and swirls
in the universe, and comes to a halt.
Where waterdrops echo,
where mama owl hoots her chronicles, stories
that have never been told.
Let epinephrine drift away
through flowing streams of blood.
Soothe your contracted muscles, let them sink
into deep sleep. Inhale, exhale.
Let air flow through yo ..read more
RISE ABOVE ALL ODDS
1y ago
[Image Description: A black and white photo of a crowd of people marching down the street with phones, cardboard, and phones.]
Poem by Renee
Photo by Mohamed Elamine Msiouri from Pexels
#protest!
A press of bodies in
The late afternoon sun.
It’s June, London
More a moment than a place
Mary turns to a camera, smiles
Beneath her mask.
Someone is standing atop a car and laughing
Their doc martens are leaving
Dents all over the crumple zone.
Laura Kuenessberg* decides to make an appearance
The crowd hisses at her
In milkshake language**
In bit-u-men language
In y ..read more
RISE ABOVE ALL ODDS
1y ago
[Image Description: Black and white photo of a black man. He has one of his hands behind his head and he is looking away from us defiantly. The photo has a pink and green glitch effect.]
Photo and poem by Psalmuel Benjamin
An Intercessory liturgy where a lover combats cold
For favour
Not this hour of 2. When a gentle tap Drums on my planked body in my Bed. Brother whispers to me, like the Discreet order of the night breeze– Swimming steadily behind our window, Of her over-the-phone-request to tell Me something. This time, my soul is as Vague as it used to be– when I used to Me ..read more
RISE ABOVE ALL ODDS
1y ago
[Image Description: On a cloudy day two black women are walking past cars. Both are holding food and drinks in their hands and in the baskets on their heads.]
Photo by Adi Perets from Pexels
Poem by K. Asare-Bediako
This Land
This poem is pregnant with distractions,
a baby of dreams is conceived & a mother bathes in her country's grief.
Today marks the natal day of a black widow, full of pathogens;
a woman who swallows pain like paracetamol.
Chaos is a new song making waves on the streets of Accra.
It's June 4th & the reminiscing of history is smoking a pipe
on the ..read more
RISE ABOVE ALL ODDS
1y ago
[Video Description: A recording of Becca Lloyd performing her poem Objectify Me at an event. ]
Video and Poem by Becca Lloyd
Objectify Me
Frustration is an understatement
For the feelings, I have been forced to feel,
Conceal and learn to heal from. I am lost
I am found; all these women speak up,
Sometimes I make sound. It doesn’t feel enough,
Words fade to dust and I end up on the train
With a phone directed at my skirt, to my face, to my waist,
Where are you putting that trace of me?
Who are you showing? I am not yours to be knowing.
I didn’t say a word. Why did ..read more
RISE ABOVE ALL ODDS
1y ago
[Image Description: White hands holding an opened jar of honey. Their fingers are almost touching the golden liquid inside.]
Photo by cottonbro from Pexels
Poems by Fathima Roshni
This hurt you're feeling, don't trap it in the jar of love.
for I and his grieving heart
Two spoons of sugar is enough to balance
the bitterness of a cup of coffee
but you don't know how much hope does it
take to wash off the blood from the wound
love's sword made on you.
You try to clean it with the fresh cotton
stored in the hidden cabinet of your body.
You're wondering why your body doesn't
tak ..read more
RISE ABOVE ALL ODDS
1y ago
[Image description: A stack of colourful books sits on the table. There is a hot drink in a light green cup next to it. Above are words: Risen Book Club: Books We Read in One Sitting.]
Edited by Kseniia Gridneva
Hello, bookworms! This month’s Lit Club theme is Books We Read in One Sitting. Enjoy!
If you want to read our most recent edition click here or all of our archived editions, click here.
If you’d like to join Lit Club or suggest any books/genres/themes, drop us a message on our Instagram.
[Image description: Meg's hand is holding Oranges are ..read more
RISE ABOVE ALL ODDS
2y ago
[Image Description: Yellow flower in the pot on the windowsill. The flower is the only thing in colour, while the rest of the world is black and white.]
Screenshot taken from the PS3 game "Flower" developed by Thatgamecompany and released in February 2009
Poem by Ashton S. Laing
The Beast
In a concrete jungle, nothing can bloom,
Apart from one flower,
The flower of truth.
Its nectar is bitter,
Its leaves are spiked,
It’s rooted in your dreams at night.
People pass by
And they always cower,
At this monster, fearing their lives.
Fearing their lies,
They trie ..read more
RISE ABOVE ALL ODDS
2y ago
[Image Description: Woman wearing a blue dress, sitting down and talking to a man in jeans and a shirt. They are in an office environment. There is an elephant under the side table.]
Collage by Kseniia Gridneva
Poem by Joshua Turton
The Elephant in the Room
Ignore me, they say.
Don't speak: repress.
Who wants too much unwelcome stress?
Just let me grow,
just let me breed;
resent makes for delicious feed.
Until you say my twisted name,
you are doomed to play my game.
You know I'm here -
I know you do -
you just hate to say it's true.
Whilst you parade in misery,
I'll parade i ..read more