# Ep 31: When Rituals Become Wounds: Poetry, Anxiety, and the Questioning of God

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/journey-of-the-art-7113065/ep-31-when-rituals-become-wounds-poetry-anxiety-and-the-questioning-of-god
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/journey-of-the-art-7113065/ep-31-when-rituals-become-wounds-poetry-anxiety-and-the-questioning-of-god.md
Podcast: [Journey of the Art](https://stenobird.com/podcast/journey-of-the-art-7113065)
Published: 2025-10-08T12:30:01+00:00
Episode link: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/journey-of-the-art/episodes/Ep-31-When-Rituals-Become-Wounds-Poetry--Anxiety--and-the-Questioning-of-God-e3988g7
Audio file: https://anchor.fm/s/f62876d8/podcast/play/109371335/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2025-9-8%2F408868661-44100-2-75f1805370c7b.m4a
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Duration seconds: 3491

## Resource

In this episode, my guest is Adedayo Agarau, author of The Years of Blood , a poetry collection that explores trauma, memory, anxiety, and immigration. Listen as we discuss the lack of emergency on ritual killings and abductions that inspired him to take on this subject, his struggles with mental health, and the ways community and religion impacted his ability to deal with his struggles. Show highlights 00:00 – introduction 03:10 – Adedayo Agarau’s journey as a writer 14:39 – Taking on the subject of trauma 28:30 - The challenge of explaining anxiety and depression in the diaspora 37:04 - the questioning of God (the story of Taofiq) and predestination 45:25 - The beauty of language in the collection ______________ Guest's links Buy The Years of Blood: https://fordhampress.com/the-years-of-blood-pb-9781531511616.html Follow Adedayo on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adedayoagarau ____________ Host's links Follow Journey of the Art on Instagram Book a one-on-one with Lola: https://wordcaps.com/coaching/

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