Curing My Venom

Written by A. Rinum, illustrated by Fatima Munir

when I let my fears consume me
did I understand
that I was afraid
in all senses
of being human.

I do not read poetry often, but when I do, I always find myself enjoying the narrative journey. Curing My Venom is a collection of poems focused on the stages of grief but also other themes such as mental illness/mental health, failure, self-hatred, jealousy, and acceptance. Included along the way are illustrations that fit the mood of the poems.

Curing My Venom is an interesting collection of poetry. A. Rinum’s words are braided perfectly with Fatima Munir’s illustrations. I found myself being caught in a loop of rereading a poem then gazing at the accompanying picture. One of my favorite things about poetry and poetry books is that you can visit a poem time and time again and always find something new, this holds true with Curing My Venom. I read through it a few times before sitting down to write a review, each time I found myself drawn to a different section and more so illustration.

Curing My Venom is divided into five sections which aline with the stages of grief:

1. Denial
2. Anger
3. Bargaining
4. Depression
5. Acceptance

A. Rinum’s words are powerful and dive deep into raw emotions we don’t like to talk about. You can feel Rinum’s feelings as you read, but she leaves room for you to project your own experiences over her’s. You can make this collection about your struggles, all about you, or read it as her struggles.

Reading Curing My Venom will not heal a grieving heart, but it will give you a place to start to explore those emotions. If anything, Curing My Venom provides the reader with comfort in knowing you are not alone in your thoughts–no matter if they are focused on grief or yourself.

If you know someone who is going through a rough spot in life, they will benefit from reading Curing My Venom, but Curing My Venom is not limited to those struggling. I recommend you give Curing My Venom a read if you are interested in poetry.

If you are writing the story of your life
then why are you letting others
add their words to your sentences
this is your story
so write it as you prefer
because no one will come
and give you the ending you deserve.

 

Have you read Curing My Venom? Do you read poetry/poetry books?