Reminders on the Path

by Sheniz Janmohamed

Infused with the language of place, the poems in this collection are stepping-stones from the author's past to her present, from forgetfulness to remembrance, from unknowing to a deep knowing found only through direct experience. Here, the poet is at each step she sees reminders of the ephemeral and the indelible. All serve as guideposts to cross the threshold of the self.

Genres: Poetry

80 pages, Paperback

Published October 15, 2021

About the author

Sheniz Janmohamed was born and raised in Tkaronto (Toronto) Canada with ancestral ties to Kenya and India. A poet, nature artist and arts educator, Sheniz graduated from the MFA in Creative Writing at the University of Guelph-Humber.

Sheniz has been performing her poetry nationally and internationally for 15 years, including features at the Jaipur Literature Festival, Aga Khan Museum, and Vancouver Writers Fest to name a few.

Her writing has been published in numerous journals including Arc Poetry Magazine, CV2, Descant and Canthius. She is a regular contributor for Quill & Quire. She has three collections of poetry, published by Mawenzi House:  Bleeding Light (2010), Firesmoke (2014) and Reminders on the Path (2021). 

Sheniz served as the Writer-in-Residence at the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus in 2022, and is the founder and facilitator of Owning our Stories, the first writing circle of its kind for South Asian women in Ontario.

www.shenizjanmohamed.com

Reviews

[Sumaiya Matin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully organized and written, this collection of poems invites you on a journey - into yourself. Just like the natural world Sheniz describes, our internal world is also textured, changing yet constant, cyclical/linked, revelatory. Each poem captures this connection between the human and broader natural world, asks questions, and states observations, that prompt the reader to reflect on the path they, themselves, are on. Inspiring, melodic, and comforting - I recommend this book to all.

[lexi ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-4

closer to 3.5
i was really drawn to the cover tbh it gave off the feeling of being rooted in nature & our geographical landscapes which is what this poetry collection is basically about. sheniz janmohamed writes about past & present personal experiences & experiences that are unknown & although i was not necessarily moved by the writing i know each poem held a lot of power & significance to the author & it was special for me to experience in the moment. unfortunately, the poems were not very memorable for me, but i will remember the significance this collection had as a whole. also one thing i remember for sure is the mention of gingko leaves & i love gingko trees i know they’re a non-native species in my area, but definitely nice trees. i love catching small moments like that within poetry because i can have a bit of that connection to the work.

[RM · Rating 5 out of 5]

These poems are warm, inviting, and full of emotion—whether that be anguish, passion, or wonder. Each hold a tender quality with speakers who are eager to connect with their past and future. As the title of the collection suggests, these poems are reminders to us all that our paths are laden with beauty and despair. The only way is forward.

[Penn Kemp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly a well-named title, as these exquisite poems remember the path, the Path. Nature meets spirit, entwined in metaphor and lineage.

“What does it mean
to read the land
and for the land
to read you?
“Blood Memory”

“A clearing in this old growth forest reveals the mirror gate.
Shimmering in and out of this world, there is no clearer gate.”

“I speak a language unspoken,
of timeless streams of blood…
an unbroken lineage of ache.”
“A provocation of arrival, or arriving.
I have waited for someone to arrive for centuries.
Centuries have waited for me to stop waiting.
I hear your words as if they are my own:
Sink your hands deeper into the mud of light.”
“Gardens within Gardens”

“there are many ways to hold sanctuary
may I be one of them.”
“Garden of Refuge”

“Tell me bird,
how is it that you mourn with such beauty?
A calling back to ancestors,
a calling back to all that begins at the centre—
I sing myself home.”
“Facing the Garden Wall”