Penumbra

by Laila Issak


when sadness feels easy 

eyes watering tears begging to fall 

pleading for the shadows to take me 

whisk me into the gray 

it’s meant to be this way 

i repeat to myself 

aware that sadness is pain 

and pain is just temporary 

but feels so so permanent 


Laila Issak is a Muslim poet from East Africa. She is a human rights activist and revolutionist.

Illustration by Sam Garufi