brave thing. pushing your spotless bodyfrom earth, awakening through that subconscious abyssto succumb to dumb death by human-crease. i'll keep you alive, darling, like i wash a mushroom. ‘the world’s darling is a full moon cycle through mandisa apena’s inner sanctum. a pastoral moment-place. omens disguised as humans; desire and hopeless lust roam without leash; dream portals unfurl in the corner of childhood bedrooms. what is left at the end of nature’s kind tantrum? a sophomore pamphlet from a poet whose approach is full of conviction, urgency and the strange sap of living.’ Tice Cin‘mandisa apena is one of my favourite writers ever. This pamphlet has helped me on my own journey towards healing, helped me understand the beauty and power of words, the complexities of womanhood, the pain and joy of existing. It reminds me what it means to be human, to feel, to cry, to laugh and then to cry again. Yes, the world is a cruel place, but mandisa makes it all look and feel so beautiful.’ Lola Young‘These poems crackle with mischief and menace, tenderness and rage where dreams bruise into nightmares, and girlhood collapses into womanhood. They refuse the expected, finding music in survival; light where it has no business being. Strange, urgent, unforgettable. There is only one mandisa apena.’ Rachel Long‘Each of these poems is like a best friend I just made. A barista who invites me to their birthday party. A chatty stranger on a night bus who asks me in for a cup of tea. I’m honoured each poem trusts me with its organic self so soon, its vulnerability and alchemy.’ Kareem Parkins-Brown
