Right, so Rishi, would you like to tell the listeners about Cherry Blossom at Nightbreak, which is your collection of poetry?

I can try.

Yeah, you know this, right? The book always changes from when you're starting to pull it together and in the throes of making it to then when it comes out into the world and it becomes a different thing.

And as I was pulling it together, I thought this was quite a despairing book, quite a sad book.

And Jane, my editor at Nine Arches Press, was like, no, what are you talking about? This is a very optimistic and hopeful book.

And so I think the truth of the book is somewhere in between those two poles.

The people are very kindly when they talk to me about it, are seeing a lot of that optimism in there.

podcast that you listen

Let's hear the new poem then, The Salandine's Heart-Shaped Swagger.

This bright little yellow flower Is asking you, please, persist, persist With a cultivated heart-shaped swagger It's broadcasting, resist, resist If I can pop up, you can persist, persist.

It's definitely within your power to say to your heartaches, I resist, resist.

Defy them and not become sour.

It's definitely within your power to give the fates a bit of a twist.

I'm called a weed, yet I'm not sour.

In the cracks it's a joy to exist.

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