When It Starts to Hurt: a collection of poems

By Rama Kaba

When life starts to hurt, what do you do?

Do you let the pain destroy you or do you become stronger and conquer it?

Come take this bittersweet journey with Rama, as she examines emotions we are often told to ignore—our ability to feel, understand and deal with pain.

When It Starts to Hurt is composed o

• Language: English
• Publisher: Zircon Press
• Release date: Jun 28, 2018
• ISBN: 9780980943252

Rama Kaba

Rama Kaba is the author of two books of poetry, When It Comes to Love and When It Starts to Hurt. She was born in West Africa but grew up in the United States. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts from York University and her Master of Information from the University of Toronto to become a very non-traditional librarian. She lives in Ontario, Canada. She loves hearing from her readers, so feel free to connect with her on Instagram @ramakabawrites.

Book preview

When It Starts to Hurt

a collection of poems

Rama Kaba

zircon logo

WHEN IT STARTS TO HURT

Copyright © 2016 by Rama Kaba

Published by Zircon Press

Cover & Art Design by Alex Demanin

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including copying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

For permission requests, email [e-mail] 

Attention: Rights & Permissions.

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Kaba, Rama, author

          When it starts to hurt : a collection of poems / Rama Kaba.

Issued in print and electronic formats.

ISBN 978-0-9809432-6-9 (hardback).--ISBN 978-0-9809432-4-5 (paperback).--

ISBN 978-0-9809432-5-2 (pdf)

          I. Title.

PS8621.A264W548 2016                  C811’.6                 C2016-906620-7

                                                                            C2016-906621-5

for my daddy

RIP July 31, 2016

Table of Contents

ANOTHER KIND OF NORMAL

CUT

MINDLESS JOY

NAKED

THE TIM HORTONS IN THE ROSS BUILDING

ONE OF THEM FEET

WHAT I AM

WHEN I WANDER THE EARTH

JOURNALING

THE BEAST

BETWEEN GOOD AND BAD

TAKE MY HAND

THE OTHER SIDE

THAT FEELING

THE PAST

TIME DANCER

SNOW

CHILDHOOD

AN AGED LOVE

USED TO

THE ONLY WAY

THE SAME GIRL

A WRITER’S DRAFT

BULLIES

PLAYING DEAD

WHEN THE EARTH DIES

HOPE

THE DAY HEAVEN CRIED

SET

DEATH

THE PUNISHER

BARREN

WICKED

SILENT WHISPERS

CRACK

BABY DEAD

FEAR

SACRIFICED

TRUTH

BURY ME

FRESH LIES

BROKEN PROMISES

LOVE LIKE THIS

BLOOD

INCOMPETENT

YEAR AFTER YEAR

MIRROR

JUST A DREAM

INDIGESTION

REACH

WALKED HOME

GAMES

DESIGNER KILLS

ADRIFT

POSSESSION

FLY

NEW YEAR

HOW CAN YOU

STILL

FIRST

TALK

WEAK AND POWERLESS

BLAME

SMOKE

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Another Kind of Normal