Ryka AokiWhy Dust Shall Never Settle Upon This Soul

I'm not much of a poetry reader, and I'm trying to work on that, especially breaking from reading anything that would fall under the traditional poetry mould. This collection is beautiful and heartbreaking, a poignant collection featuring themes of loss, lamentation, remembrance, and survival. Each section flows into the next. Many different kinds of loss actually- the loss of trans lives, being abandoned by family and friends who can't deal with the poet's identity, and such, capturing the intra-community grief vividly. The forward was very touching as well. Definitely a collection to pick up.