Sara Jesus

“What I want to say is that I was happy. Not always, not even mostly. But I did know real, deep joy. Maybe everyone gets a certain amount to use up over a lifetime, and I just used my lifetime’s allotment especially quickly, with Leila. But I don’t think it was a tragedy, my life. Tragedies are relentless. Nobody could ask for more than what I’ve had.”
― Kaveh Akbar, Martyr!

“How strange can the body be. I do not know it, never know what it wants. Does anyone know their body, truly? I wonder.”
― Yael van der Wouden, The Safekeep

“She thought: I can hold you and find that I still miss your body. She thought: I can listen to you speak and still miss the sound of your voice.”
― Yael van der Wouden, The Safekeep

“I want to be worthy of the great terror my existence inspires.”
― Kaveh Akbar, Martyr!