Light attracts light. But sometimes your light attracts moths and your warmth attracts parasites. Protect your space and energy Warsan Shire More Quotes by Warsan Shire More Quotes From Warsan Shire The sun is perfect and you woke this morning. You have enough language in your mouth to be understood. You have a name, and someone wants to call it. Five fingers on your hand and someone wants to hold it. If we just start there, every beautiful thing that has and will ever exist is possible. If we start there, everything, for a moment, is right in the world. Warsan Shire morning beautiful hands Later that night, I held an atlas on my lap, ran my fingers across the whole world, and whispered, ‘where does it hurt?’ It answered, everywhere, everywhere, everywhere. Warsan Shire hurt doe night And you tried to change, didn't you? Closed your mouth more. Tried to be softer, prettier, less volatile, less awake... You can't make homes out of human beings. Someone should have already told you that. And if he wants to leave, then let him leave. You are terrifying, and strange, and beautiful. Something not everyone knows how to love. Warsan Shire break-up home beautiful Why do you live in your body like you will be given another? As if it were temporary. You starve it, you let anyone touch it, you berate it. Tell it that it should be completely different. You tug at your soft flesh, wish it thinner, wish it gone. You fall in love with those who praise the way it sighs under their hands, but who praises the way it holds up your weight, even when you are falling apart? Warsan Shire falling-in-love wish hands Every mouth you’ve ever kissed was just practice. All the bodies you’ve ever undressed and ploughed in to were preparing you for me. I don’t mind tasting them in the memory of your mouth. Warsan Shire journey home memories Document the moments you feel most in love with yourself - what you're wearing, who you're around, what you're doing. Recreate and repeat. Warsan Shire moments love-you feels Make peace with your body, it's not manmade, there are no flaws, there are no mistakes. Warsan Shire flaws body mistake Essentially, if our secrets are secrets because we are told to be ashamed, then we must share them. There is no shame in being sad or struggling or trying to heal. We are all desperate, depraved and sacred. We are all terrible and brillIant. I can list all the things that can make a girl want to escape her own body (re: patriarchy). But I’d rather list all the things that make me want to stay in my body, and adorn it like a home, rub oils into my skin, tell it how sorry I am for trying to leave, for trying to hurt it into submission Warsan Shire girl hurt sorry I’m overwhelmed. My biggest downfall is my brightest blessing, I feel too much, all the time. Ya Allah, if it’ll keep my heart soft, break my heart every day. Warsan Shire too-much blessing heart It's not my responsibility to be beautiful. I'm not alive for that purpose. My existence is not about how desirable you find me. Warsan Shire feminism responsibility beautiful My alone feels so good, I'll only have you if you're sweeter than my solitude. Warsan Shire being-single being-alone loneliness Don't assume, ask. Be kind. Tell the truth. Don't say anything you can't stand behind fully. Have integrity. Tell people how you feel. Warsan Shire say-anything integrity people Not everyone is okay with living like an open wound. But the thing about open wounds is that, well, you aren't ignoring it. You're healing; the fresh air can get to it. It's honest. You aren't hiding who you are. You aren't rotting. People can give you advice on how to heal without scarring badly. But on the other hand there are some people who'll feel uncomfortable around you. Some will even point and laugh. But we all have wounds. Warsan Shire healing air hands Mother says there are locked rooms inside all women, kitchen of love, bedroom of grief, bathroom of apathy. Sometimes, the men, they come with keys, and sometimes the men, they come with hammers. Warsan Shire grief mother love-is You are terrifying, and strange, and beautiful. Something not everyone knows how to love. Warsan Shire women beautiful love I’m not sad, but the boys who are looking for sad girls always find me. I’m not a girl anymore and I’m not sad anymore. You want me to be a tragic backdrop so that you can appear to be illuminated, so that people can say ‘Wow, isn't he so terribly brave to love a girl who is so obviously sad?’ You think I’ll be the dark sky so you can be the star? I’ll swallow you whole. Warsan Shire girl stars dark Give your daughters difficult names. Give your daughters names that command the full use of the tongue. My name makes you want to tell me the truth. My name doesn't allow me to trust anyone that cannot pronounce it right. Warsan Shire daughter names giving When I love, I love: wholly, thoroughly, completely, drowning in everything. Every glance can be a conversation, eyes just playing and saying what needs to be said. Silence is loud, and the air becomes heavy. I want you. I want all of you. Warsan Shire silence eye air Perhaps, the problem is not the intensity of your love, but the quality of the people you are loving. Warsan Shire quality problem people The ego hurts you like this: you become obsessed with the one person who does not love you. blind to the rest who do. Warsan Shire ego hurt love-you
