I. covet
People with fathers both loved and living
II. wrench
Blue from ocean, pour into being
III. silk
Spun hard, spun fast – rise briefly from the dead
IV. carve
Intricate patterns upon me, grief, you termite of the soul
V. futile
Howls ricochet off the void: you are forsaken
Fatima Malik (she/her) is a fundraiser and poet with work published or forthcoming in Breakwater Review, DEAR Poetry Journal, The Margins, sidereal magazine, Whale Road Review, and others. She is currently working on her first full-length collection of poems, an excavation of grief after her father’s sudden death. She has a BA in English Literature and Creative Writing from Dartmouth College and a joint MA in Journalism and Near Eastern Studies from New York University. While she currently lives in New York City, her heart is forever in Lahore.