Songs From Another Sun: a BIPOC poetry anthology

This poetry anthology contains work by 19 BIPOC artists around the world. At Beyond the Veil Press, we always focus on mental health awareness and this collection was given the prompt: Revolution as Invention.

In the vast existence of humanity, each of us overcomes our own personal revolution and evolution as we tap into the true meaning of who we are and where we want to go. Songs from Another Sun invites you to embark on a poetic journey, where verses are the collective framework of shared human experience. This anthology is not merely a collection of poems; but stories of resilience, the pulsating beats of revolution, the haunting refrains of trauma, and the steps needed to heal oneself and those around us. As you delve into these intimate glimpses of personal struggles, you will encounter the art of overcoming the past and looking forward to a future where the lessons become the teachers. Poets share their navigation through tumultuous currents of personal and collective struggle and through the cadence of their verses, you will feel the pulse of triumph over adversity. Songs from Another Sun is not only the personal experience of revolution, but it shows us the societal barriers that are experienced in day-to-day life. These poems echo the resilient voices of those who dared to challenge the brutal reality of the status quo, offering glimpses into the transformative power of rebellion. Within these pages, poets confront ancestral pain and the make up of their personal history crafting verses that serve as reminders of wounds passed down through the ages. They remind us about the responsibility of not repeating these patterns and exploring reparations and what it means to find healing from the situations that caused harm. These poems acknowledge that even within the complexity of our existence, we can create our own sanctuary where we live the life that we want. These poems are not just reflections of distant suns and people's individual galaxies; they are beacons of light urging us to confront ourselves in ways that we haven't before. Dear reader, as you take in each piece of someone's personal galaxy, let the verses guide you through your own journey of resilience, revolution, and healing.

The universe is an unforgiving place. Because of its vastness it can seem pitiless. The stars that have exploded and shined their light across the galaxies may have taken the lives of trillions as they did. What can we do because of that? What have we done with this knowledge? Carried on with our daily affairs. Looked on our phones to laugh, cry, get angry, get sad, get even. Looked up into the night and tried to hear, just for a moment, the songs a member of a dying race may have sung, that was carried here on the solar winds. Or maybe, just maybe, we have looked to one another, really looked, and realized that each of us is a sun, a constellation, a majesty unlike anything else in the universe. Each of us celestial beings has dealt with struggle and pain, but has persevered to transform ourselves using the words of deities, and weaved songs of infinity. These songs transcend the gutter, they make it rain on the wounds of the fathers and mothers, they salve the bruises of the policeman's baton, they break the chains of caste and slavery. They hold us when we have been rejected, and inspire us to continue when our bodies just could not go on, they show us how to love the melanin in our skin. This volume, Songs From Another Sun, is a collection of people creating a revolution of reinvention. It is the sound of earth shuddering and then singing that its people have arrived, that they are loved, and that they love you. Come along and sing. -Sean Felix, author of Did you even know I was here?