after Shaya Ishaq’s Library of Infinities (2021)
i pulse in and out of myself, bathed in
sun
light crafted by your building hands
cessation, elevation, curve me and i
curl
my soul, looks back: we are one
– holding hands
slippin’ light like children by frames
of green
black, blue, maroon, books clasped – grasping
hands
embraced by the greats, voices strong,
shadow
now illuminated by their gifting hands
rebuilding anew, reactivating truth, we
are
one chorus rising
– guiding hands.
“ghazal for shifting perspective” does not appear in Through the Eyes of Another (Buckrider Books, 2027).
Ellen Chang-Richardson [Nicolai P Gregory] is an award-winning poet, hybrid genre writer, and editor. Their debut collection of poetry, Blood Belies, was shortlisted for the 2025 Gerald Lampert Memorial Award. Their second collection of poetry, Through the Eyes of Another, is forthcoming Spring 2027. They write to shine a light. www.ehjchang.com
