You Are Who I Love

A bright yellow chapbook with a yellow illustration of a belladonna plant beneath black text.

This long poem by Aracelis Girmay was first published by Split This Rock as part of a six-poem series released the week of January 20, 2017, in response to the presidential inauguration of Donald Trump. Girmay’s poem makes compelling use of the list form, as the speaker’s attention turns to the many forms of life, labor, and resistance she sees around her. Through her seeing and recording, Girmay affirms the value of these people and the meaningful, necessary work they undertake daily.

Aracelis Girmay. “You Are Who I Love.” Mother Mother You Are Who I Love [Belladonna chaplet #229]. Brooklyn: Belladonna* Collaborative, 2018.