by Lang Leav
You asked me what it means
to be an artist
as I stood before you
and all the world
Took one creation
after another
lovingly conceived
painstakingly made
and with warm, trembling hands
spread them out for you
under the cruel, unforgiving light
and each new thing
was a question of whether
I was good enough
Above You
Nothing is beneath you. And if you believe this with your whole heart—believe every living soul should be treated with respect and kindness—you will realize it goes the other way.
For once you truly believe no one is beneath you—you will see no one is above.
Facade
Do you believe in fairy tales?
My once upon a time
my read between the lines
My ordinary, everyday
do you need another rhyme?
Am I just an old cliché
Did I take a wrong turn somewhere
got lost along the way
Did a year pass by each day?
You haven’t asked me for some time
if I am doing fine
As long as I tack on this smile
And never show you the face behind
or tell you what’s been on my mind
We can stay like this awhile
December
It is only the year that is ending. So why does it feel like the world is?
Index
Above You
After Thirty
A Life Unlived
All I See
All Love
All the Things
A Love Letter to Poetry
Always Will
Among the Stars
A Poem Comes
April Fool
A Reminder
A Single Word
Ask the World
A Woman
Be a Poet
Before Love
Before You Leave
Being an Artist
Between Us
Breaking
Crystal Ball
Dear February
December
Diorama
Either Or
Endless Thirst
Every Other Heart
Facade
Fallen Idols
Fleeting
For a Man
Give You
God
Good Enough
Grief
Hidden Love
If You Didn’t
I’m Sorry
In a World Like That
Ingredients of a Poem
In Love and Free
Legacy
Let It
Like It Was
Limbo
Locked Boxes
Losing
Men
Mistress
More a Poet
Motherhood
Moving Time
My Love
My Poetry
My Version of Love
Night and Day
Nine Books
No Poet
Not You
Of Years
On Being a Muse
Only Once
Only So Much
Only Yours
Palm
Seasons
Self-Blame
Self-Control
Self-Preservation
September Love
Shame
Show of Love
Some Loves
Someone
Something Back
Taking Time
Ten Things
The Age of Love
The Chase
The End of Love
The Gift
The Golden Rule
The One After
The One She Loved
The Path of a Writer
The World Is Mine
This World
Those That Come
Tongue-Tied
Too Close
To past generations,
To the Guy Who Claims My Poetry Was the Cause of His Break-up,
To Understand
To Yourself
Twenty Nineteen
Twice in My Life
Want
War
We Were Loved
When We Love
Who You Are
Why I Write
Written
Your Poetry
Acknowledgments
I began work on September Love when the world was a place where we could move with freedom and ease. Like everyone else, I never considered this would change in the sudden, brutal way it has.
Touring has been an integral part of my career, and I have so many people to thank for their warmth and hospitality. I’ve always returned from my travels with wonderful memories in tow. Such as spotting heart-shaped traffic lights while cruising the streets of Manila with Chad and the lovely team at National Book Store. An ice cream parlor in New York with my agent Al, discussing ideas for my next novel. With Patty in Los Angeles, venturing out to Jollibee, a cult fast-food chain, beloved by Filipinos who are among my most passionate readers. A full-circle moment with my publisher Kirsty in a Sydney restaurant where, many years before, her career was set on its stunning trajectory. Exploring Chicago with Kathy, a city I’d never been to, and fell hopelessly in love with. Kuala Lumpur where Jacky and the team at Times Distribution surprised my mother with her absolute favorite—fresh durian, out of season and impossibly rare.
Last December, I found myself in a local Singaporean eatery with Zhi Wei and Carynn, the same two girls who had greeted me off the plane on my very first tour. I had no idea then, as we sat laughing and discussing our future plans, that the night would be my last real memory of normalcy.
I completed this collection after two solid months in lockdown and to the backdrop of a very different world. Tucked away in our little seaside house with my partner Michael and stepson Oliver. Some days, when the heavy fog settled over the horizon, it felt like we were the only people left in the world. The sense of isolation I’d felt during this period beautifully captured in the cover art by Tallulah Fontaine.
Yet there was never a moment where I was truly alone.
Throughout my time in lockdown, my readers were a constant source of comfort and encouragement. This book, like every other one before, is inspired by their stories of love and struggle, their everlasting hope for a kinder, softer, world. To my readers, my gratitude to you is infinite.
About the Author
Novelist and poet Lang Leav was born in a refugee camp when her family were fleeing the Khmer Rouge regime. She spent her formative years in Sydney, Australia, in the predominantly migrant town of Cabramatta. Among her many achievements, Lang is the winner of a Qantas Spirit of Youth Award, Churchill Fellowship, and Goodreads Choice Award.
Her first book, Love & Misadventure (2013), was a breakout success, and her subsequent poetry books have all been international best-sellers. In 2016, Lang turned her attention to fiction, and her debut novel Sad Girls shot to #1 on the Straits Times and other best-seller charts internationally.
Lang actively participates in international writers’ festivals and her tours consistently draw massive crowds. With a combined social media following of two million, Lang’s message of love, loss, and female empowerment continues to resonate with her multitude of readers.
Lang has been featured on CNN, SBS Australia, Intelligence Squared UK, Radio
New Zealand and in various publications, including Vogue, Newsweek, the Straits Times, the Guardian, and the New York Times. She currently resides in New Zealand with her partner and fellow author, Michael Faudet.
