The Art of Eating Marigolds, by Abagail Lim

Poetry, chapbook, 48 pages, from Bottlecap Features.

The Art of Eating Marigolds is a book of poetry centered around the topics of love, loss, heartbreak, mental health, and personal growth. It is an open letter to all those who have felt the tug of grief and loss plucking away at their heart strings. It is for those who have sat at the bottom of their shower and cried their eyes out– hoping desperately that no one could hear them sobbing beneath the pulse of rushing water.  

In that same respect, The Art of Eating Marigolds is not exclusively an ode to sadness and despair. It is also a hopeful offering– an outstretched hand, grasping for those who swore they were abandoned on the spit-slick tile of their bathroom floors– for those who need a helping hand to get back up and continue growing through the cracks in the pavement. It is for those silently searching for a gentle reminder of the fact that no one truly suffers alone.

The Art of Eating Marigolds offers a raw, unfiltered look into the lives of those struggling with mental illness, heartbreak, and loss. But it also aims to offer solace in the fact that the feelings and experiences detailed in these writings are not only that of the author– they are reflective of the collective experience that so many others both before and after them have had or will one day experience.

With every cry of pain that rips through our chests and every kind word we utter, there is an echo that is born within the cavernous tunnel that holds each of our wandering souls– ricocheting off the walls and creating a ripple that will touch not only us, but all those around us. The Art of Eating Marigolds is a single ripple in this greater effect– an echo throughout the tunnel that begs to be heard by all those who are lost amongst the darkness– convinced that there is no light to be found on the other side.

Abagail Lim is a U.S. based poet from the suburbs of Chicago, IL. They are a queer, neurodivergent writer whose content covers a wide range of topics including love, loss, heartbreak, mental health, and personal growth. Lim’s writings aim to showcase the raw, unfiltered emotions that often surface when one is faced with difficult situations– from unhealthy relationship dynamics and break-ups to the challenges of living with a chronic illness. Lim's poetry intends to share the deep, often stigmatized emotions connected to loss and heartache with those who may have felt similarly at some point in their lives. One of the primary goals of Lim's writing is to help others feel less alone in their struggles and emphasize the idea that suffering does not need to be an isolationist act.