“Rosa Castellano’s All is the Telling is a collection in which both historical and contemporary understandings of Black female subjectivity are two waves colliding.”
Dr. Taylor Byas, author of I Done Clicked My Heels Three Times
All is the Telling is a powerful and evocative collection of poems that explores the intersections of identity, history, memory, and survival. Through vivid imagery and lyrical storytelling, the author weaves personal and collective narratives that span generations, geographic locations, and emotional landscapes. From the intimate struggles of family and belonging to the broader themes of race, displacement, and resilience, these poems invite readers to confront the beauty and brutality of life in equal measure. All is the Telling is a testament to the enduring power of storytelling, where each voice—whether whispered or shouted—claims its place in the world. This collection insists on being heard and honors the past while challenging us to consider the future. In these pages, the personal and the political collide in beautiful, devastating, and ultimately hopeful ways, making All is the Telling an unforgettable exploration of human resilience and connection.
ALL IS THE TELLING
A DEMAND OR THE ONLY WAY I KNOW HOW TO BREATHE
~
A DEMAND OR THE ONLY WAY I KNOW HOW TO BREATHE ~
Like a hand rising
from still water
I can’t not twist
my head, my neck,
look back at what’s
been—a memory
with a can’t or won’t
tied so tight around it
that it lives
untouched
and breathing
like light
through the trees
in early Spring—
