that slanted cursive
rigid in consistency of angle
envelopes, letters, blackboards
my skin, flesh, minds.
SALIMAH VALIANI is a poet, activist, and researcher. She has published four collections of poetry: breathing for breadth (TSAR: 2005), Letter Out: Letter In (Inanna: 2009), land of the sky (Inanna: 2016) and Cradles (Daraja: 2017). Her latest publication is the poem-story, Dear South Africa, one of seven pieces in Praxis Magazine’s 2019-2020 Chapbook Series. Her upcoming poetry collection, 29 leads to love will be published by Inanna in 2021. Check out her work online at: https://www.facebook.com/SalimahValianiPoet/