Tag: poetry

I feel sick.

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I’m currently in my 10th week of lockdown, and to be honest quarantine life hasn’t really made me want to write about anything.

But yesterday, another innocent black man was murdered in America by the police. This is the third black person to have their life cruelly taken away from them in the space of a few months because of police brutality.

Because of inherent racism in a country that calls itself openly ‘the land of the free.’

Because of a systematic and biased system that is supposed to be there for the people, not just a small selection of people they deem worthy of their protection.

It is disgusting and sickening for me to see this. And I’m tired. Tired of seeing black people mercilessly black listed, oppressed and denied their human rights. How many more innocent lives will be claimed and taken before they should be? How many more families will lose loved ones? How many more children will be scared to step outside of their own homes?

Staying silent, knowing that what is happening is wrong, is just as complicit as doing nothing. We need to use of platforms to show solidarity, to show our support and to make noise loud enough the world over to show that we will not stand for these injustices. I am reminded of this poem from 1946 as I type this out and I would urge you all to read it.

Just because you are not black does not mean that you cannot empathise with their plight. You can make yourself an ally and show your support:

  • Educate yourself – don’t just take what you read and watch on TV and social media as fact. Research it for yourself.
  • Ask someone – if you don’t feel like you know enough, or you need help understanding or clarification don’t be afraid to ask.
  • Promise to listen – give people a platform and your ear. Listen to their grievances.
  • Step in – if you see racial injustice, no matter how uncomfortable you may feel, step in and help.

For too long we have sat back and watched as people from different races and backgrounds have been persecuted and killed, made to feel worthless and scared of living in the countries they’re born in and done nothing. We need to do more and we need to do it now. The time for change is here.

I am here and I am an ally. I will stand up for you and I will not back down from your fight.

George Floyd. Breonna Taylor. Ahmaud Arbery.

Say their names✊🏽

xo

Booktour of LDN: Persephone Books

Hi!

I spent a couple of days in the good ol’ UK capital this week and decided to pay a visit to one of my favourite book stores – Persephone Books.


Persephone Books reprints neglected fiction and non-fiction by mid 20th Century (mostly) women writers. There are around 132 books that they publish that range from novels to stories to diaries to memoirs to cookbooks!


This is a must for any book lover or bookstore lover to add to their list. If you get the chance whilst you’re in London, definitely give it a visit! The books range from around £12-£13 or you can grab 3 for £33, and a lovely  little extra is you get individually crafted bookmarks for each if the books you buy!

I picked up 2 novels and a book of poems – The World that was Ours by Hilda Bernstein, It’s Hard to be Over Thirty by Judith Viorst and A Lady and her Husband by Amber Reeves. Can’t wait to get stuck into these so keep an eye out for my reviews🙂

If you would like to check out their catalogue, head on over to the website!

xo

New year, new…?

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HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Ah 2017. What a year.

I’ve decided that heading into 2018 I’m not going to go with the‘new year, new me’ mantra. It’s far too much effort for one, and secondly, i’m kinda happy with who I am right now, so why change myself completely right? Instead this year i’m going to build on who I am and what I want out of my life, personally and career wise. Not that 2017 was a terrible year for me, but it could have been so much more. There were low points and hardships as always, but there was so much to be grateful for and happy about.

This poem from Milk and Honey really enforces and encapsulates what 2017 was all about, for me anyway. In 2017 we saw the power of the people✊ From women’s rights to LGBTQ rights, to speaking out against sexual harassment and assault to the BLM movement, 2017 was all about the power of saying no. No more to staying quiet. No more to being walked all over. No more to hiding in the shadows. Refusing to quench the fire of injustice and sitting idly by. I would like to thank Donald Trump in that respect. His outright and blatant racism, homophobia, sexism and general idiocy has brought about an outpouring of defiance from us as a society, as communities and as human beings.

Milk and Honey – Rupi Kaur

We’re tired of all the bullshit that’s been fed to us over decades. Our opinions do matter no matter what anyone else tells us otherwise. Do our opinions make us less beautiful? Hell no. It’s our opinions that make us who we are.

So I’m going to carry the momentum and mantra of 2017 into 2018, I refuse to let the fire burn out. I’m going to build on it, re-enforce it and use it. Use it to take risks and not allow people to put me in a box.

xo