Grasping at This Planet Just to Believe

By Tanzila Ahmed

Tanzila Ahmed says of her first full-length poetry collection, Grasping at This Planet Just to Believe:

"Every Ramadan since my mother's passing, I've written daily poems as a practice of prayer during the month of Ramadan. Daily poems, over one lunar month over ten years. 2,800 poems, if I had actually done it without fail. Some years were more successful than others, depending on the year, the season, the heart, the world politics, the grief. Some years, all I did was write two poems and then fall into a depth of nothingness.

"This project has become one of the most spiritually fulfilling part of how I connect to the world during Ramadan. I hope these poems can support you on your journey as well."