In A Blue Kiss, Sealed with the Keys, Brooklyn based poet Abdul Fattah Ismail concentrates his second collection of writings on romantic connections, from spark to extinguish. Guided by tactile imagery, Abdul’s vibrant narratives shift from amourous to indifferent in succinct verses and infatuated impressions. Like Abdul’s debut, Extended Syllables, the author’s perspective remains grounded, but never fully settled, as he journeys through affectionate moments and heartsore junctures.

From wanting to know the feelings that came from waking up and kissing your cheek, to defeatedly conceding, it could have been great maybe/we could have been special together,
A Blue Kiss, Sealed with the Keys candidly articulates the elation and adversity of searching for affection. Abdul navigates the optimism and anguish of modern love through an especially timely lens, with pieces like Droplets and Spring is Masked illustrating the bleak isolation of pandemic loneliness. As Abdul’s voice evolves in a drastically uncertain world, this second work is both acutely personal and strikingly relatable.