Digital Painting, 23.6" x 15.7", by Robel Asfaw
"I hang the Tigray flag back on my bedroom wall. In the middle of the night when my baby stirs in her crib, I rub her head until she falls back asleep. Her nightlight gives the room a reddish glow, and the red on the flag turns into blood, the yellow of its star into brown skin. I stand between two worlds- bloodshed on one side, budding life on the other. I return to bed as details compete across my mind: My little brother back home riding his bike to a neighbor's to ask for food, my coffee date plans with a friend in the morning, noting Day 618 of the Tigray Genocide, anxiety about not getting enough sleep to take optimal care of my baby. The wind enters through the window and the flag waves in the dark. I tell myself it's not goodbye"
-BeeLyn Naihiwet
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Robel Asfaw, a versatile self-taught artist, architect, and graphic designer, bring together a unique combination of skills and artistic flair. He constructs compelling visual stories for diverse clients through his proficiency and creative sensibilities. His capabilities span a spectrum of design endeavors, including creating illustrations, developing impactful branding solutions, crafting designs or print materials, and producing engaging digital media content. He is committed to crafting designs that leave a lasting and memorable impact
BeeLyn Naihiwet is a Tigrayan-American poet and a mental health therapist, although she predominantly identified as a selenophile. She is passionate about destigmatizing mental health issues, social justice, empowering women, and bearing witness to the beauty and brokenness of the human experience. Her poetry appears in Kweli Journal, The Halcyon, Mom Egg Review, and Ginosko Journal, among others. BeeLyn's debut poetry collection, 'Plenty.', was released in February 2021 from Finishing Line Press.