Poetry gives voice to our soul. It illuminates our darkest fears and our brightest joys. Audre Lorde wrote that “poetry is not a luxury. It is a vital necessity of our existence.” Poetry, she said, is how we name the nameless. “It forms the quality of the light within which we predicate our hopes and dreams toward survival and change, first made into language, then into idea, then into more tangible action.” If you are ever in need of an inspirational moment, look no further than these Kaur warriors of the word. These Sikh women poetesses are in love with language and in love with empowering their readers.
JASMIN KAUR
Jasmin Kaur is fascinated by words and the power they hold to shape our environment. As a writer, Jasmin honours the powerful human connection experienced through storytelling and the common ground found through our diverse narratives. Instagram | Website
I descend from rebels
who return rage to the pacified
power to the marginalized
and thrones to the people.
– Jasmin Kaur
HARMAN KAUR
Through her art, Harman Kaurs aims to empower women, specifically Sikh women, brown women and women of the Indian diaspora. In addition to writing poetry, she is the founder of The Chunni Project. Twitter | Instagram
being a child of
guru gobind singh
and falling apart
does not make me
unworthy
even glass forged
from fire
breaks sometimes
– Harman Kaur
RUPINDER KAUR
Rupinder Kaur is a poet and spoken word artist who is also a biomedical student from Birmingham. In English, Hindi, and Panjabi, Rupinder writes about a variety of topics ranging from culture to religion, from female empowerment to taboo subjects. Particularly, she likes to focus on Panjab in her writing which is why she recently launched Rooh Panjabi to deliver the best of Panjabi heritage and culture. Instagram | Twitter | Website
If I have a daughter I hope she understands that;
Caring too much and feeling too much is
not a problem
But when it begins to give pain –
I hope she will stop
I know how it feels to give your everything
And never receive anything in return
I am used to it but, I will never let her get
used to being second preference
– Rupinder Kaur
SANDEEP KAUR
Sandeep Kaur is a writer and social worker. She strives to empower sisterhood through storytelling and collaboration. “My writing is a way for me to dismantle the shame culture in our community. This is my kind of social work, in which I hope to spread awareness and create a safe atmosphere for women to tell their stories. In a way I am taking advocacy in my own hands, in a non-invasive approach. I like to tackle social issues, especially those that no one wants to talk about and create a collection of photo series highlighting such topics.” Source. Instagram
the greatest lesson was the heartbreak
the greatest peace was in the lonely nights
the greatest blessing was in the moment
I chose to love myself whole
the healing | Sandeep Kaur
J. KAUR
J. Kaur, or Five River Flow, is a poet, spoken word artist, public speaker, workshops co-ordinator, and member of the Khalistan Activist Federation. Instagram | Website | Twitter
he says
even my love letters
are political
i guess that’s true
because each breath
of mine
is resistance
in motion.
– J. Kaur
KIRAN KAUR
Kiran is a psychology student at the University of British Columbia in Canada. She also dabbles in photography and loves to incorporate her poetry with her photographs. Instagram
you deserve someone who will open their
eyes before the sun rises
only to catch a glimpse of the sun
sleeping next to them.
they will feel your warmth and realize
that even if the sun decided to set forever
they would get to see it rise every time you smiled.
you deserve a love who will kiss you because
they want to taste the poems on your tongue.
a love whose eyes will become honey when they meet yours.
a love whose tears won’t mind spilling at your fingertips.
– Kiran Kaur
RUPI KAUR
Rupi Kaur is a writer and artist based in Toronto, Canada. Her first performance was in 2009. In 2014, she published her first collection, Milk and Honey. All her art engages with themes of femininity, love, loss, trauma, and healing. Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Website
what’s the greatest lesson a woman should learn?
that since day one. she’s already had everything
she needs within herself.
it’s the world that convinced her
she did not.
– Rupi Kaur
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