Grasping at This Planet Just to Believe
From the author, Tanzila Ahmed, about Grasping at This Planet Just to Believe, her debut full-length collection of poetry:
“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 other, 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.
“Ramadan is the holy month of Islam, where Muslim around the world fast from food, abstain from ‘bad’ behaviors, and re-commit themselves to prayers. It’s often considered a spiritual re-set with the fasting from food giving a sense of clarity. In a world where reality is so often a distraction, Ramadan feels like a deliberate annual reminder of Allah and faith and love in this world.
“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.”
From the author, Tanzila Ahmed, about Grasping at This Planet Just to Believe, her debut full-length collection of poetry:
“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 other, 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.
“Ramadan is the holy month of Islam, where Muslim around the world fast from food, abstain from ‘bad’ behaviors, and re-commit themselves to prayers. It’s often considered a spiritual re-set with the fasting from food giving a sense of clarity. In a world where reality is so often a distraction, Ramadan feels like a deliberate annual reminder of Allah and faith and love in this world.
“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.”
From the author, Tanzila Ahmed, about Grasping at This Planet Just to Believe, her debut full-length collection of poetry:
“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 other, 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.
“Ramadan is the holy month of Islam, where Muslim around the world fast from food, abstain from ‘bad’ behaviors, and re-commit themselves to prayers. It’s often considered a spiritual re-set with the fasting from food giving a sense of clarity. In a world where reality is so often a distraction, Ramadan feels like a deliberate annual reminder of Allah and faith and love in this world.
“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.”