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If They Come for Us
Poems
128 pages
A soulful, raw exploration of identity, orphanhood, and inherited violence told through experimental and lyrical verse.
What it feels like
Reading this collection feels like sitting with a deeply vulnerable, soulful voice as it navigates the complexities of coming of age in contemporary America. The mood shifts fluidly between profound anguish and radiant joy, creating an intimate atmosphere where grief and compassion coexist. The language itself is both lyrical and raw, utilizing experimental forms to braid personal history with the broader experiences of marginalized people. It moves at a steady, reflective pace, asking the reader to pause and absorb its explorations of sexuality, race, and inherited violence. This is a book for readers who crave poetry that is as formally inventive as it is emotionally devastating, offering a profound meditation on identity, place, and the search for belonging.
- Mood
- intimate
- anguished
- reflective
- joyful
- Tone
- soulful
- vulnerable
- compassionate
- raw
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- coming of age · generational trauma · orphanhood · identity and belonging · navigating race and sexuality
- The writing
- Experimental in form, blending lyrical beauty with raw, unfiltered language.
- The arc
- Moves through the profound anguish of orphanhood and inherited violence toward a compassionate, joyful understanding of identity and belonging.
- Who it's for
- Readers seeking soulful, formally inventive poetry that explores the intersections of race, sexuality, and generational trauma.
Content notes
- orphanhood
- grief
- violence
- generational trauma
About the book
"This imaginative, soulful debut poetry collection captures the experiences of being a young Pakistani Muslim woman in contemporary America. Orphaned as a child, Fatimah Asghar grapples with coming of age and navigating questions of sexuality and race without the guidance of a mother or father. These poems at once bear anguish, joy, vulnerability, and compassion, while also exploring the man facets of violence: how it persists within us, how it is inherited across generations, and how it manifests itself in our relationships. In experimental forms and language both lyrical and raw, Asghar seamlessly braids together marginalized people's histories with her own understanding of identity, place, and belonging."--
Description from Open Library.
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