Past and Pending: Poems of Nostalgia and Endurance

Past and Pending: Poems of Nostalgia and Endurance by Sasha Chinnaya is an immaculate collection separated into sections titled with places that evoke certain emotions, such as nostalgia of childhood, school days in passing, and reflections through a pandemic, to name just a few. The poems in each section are prefaced by an essay providing further background into the author’s intent. There are accompanying illustrations and photos with their own respective titles. As a whole, this book voices what was gained and cherished since childhood from Chinnaya’s perspective, now as an adult, illustrating moments where she felt “protected and loved.”

One of the most beautiful aspects of this collection is its ode to girldom, finding inner strength, and an unwavering self-love. Chinnaya also does a great job describing, in imagery, the difficulty of straddling two worlds and the frustrations of not knowing things we believe should be inherent as our birthright. This collection reclaims what BIPOC immigrants and children of immigrants are not normally allowed: to just be. While Chinnaya delves into her experience as the daughter of immigrants, she shares other integral parts of herself: road trips, lab experiments, and ultimately, the beauty that comes with growing up.