Bridging the space between au revoir and memory, the poems in i can breathe bear witness to grief's transformations, becoming an invitation to honor the weight of loss and the stubborn, blessed persistence of love. These poems chart the path between losing and learning to live with loss. From the first hollow days of grief through the slow discovery that those we have lost remain woven into our days, this collection offers more than simple consolation. i can breathe gifts the reader with the quiet honesty of someone who has walked this path. Written with aching tenderness, these verses explore how memory becomes a form of continuation, how legacy is both weight and intergenerational gift. This is a book for anyone who has loved someone they can no longer hold, poems for anyone discovering what it means for us to carry on after loss. Carl Manlan's poems light the way for solitary and shared footsteps on grief's path, offering us sweet, wise company on this walk, as we come to understand the profound truth that what we love still lives. Carl Manlan is an emerging voice in contemporary poetry. his writing navigates the holistic landscape of human emotion and explores the delicate balance between loss and renewal, often finding beauty in the most challenging of human experiences. A native of Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, his creative work is a reflection of his own life experiences, particularly the profound shifts that follow loss. with a background in policy, finance, and social impact, he brings a raw and empathetic lens to his poetry. "i can breathe" is his debut collection, born from a deeply personal journey through grief and a quiet search for inner light; it is a poignant and hopeful exploration of how prosperity blooms from the ashes of grief.