I held back tears then, afraid to ruin lunch with my mom. Writing this now, the ever growing lump in my throat throbs with her histories and sorrows and tragedies retold so ordinarily, a series of maybe-miscarriages waiting to happen. Even now, I feel myself holding back tears, afraid of ruining this memory.

— The Bloody Grief of Periods and Everything in Between by Connie Ni Chiu (click to read the full piece)

l left the man and left my past 

Nobody was beside me 

Nobody was with me 

I started walking on my path alone 

— Nothing Couldn’t Stop My Voice, Popy Chowdhury (click to read the full piece)

Bought/Broken. Interactive Virtual Reality Project.

The truth is, it’s a long journey to get there but because you dare to believe, to have faith, there is unexpected beauty for you to behold. If you dare to keep your eyes open and heart, there is another you that you will want to behold.

— Thrivership, Latoya Belnavis (click to read the full piece)

Why could they have been flowers you may ask,

You see, Flowers in itself are beauty to behold,

but when they could have been flowers the half has not been told.

— They could have been flowers, Latoya Belnavis (click to read the full piece)

Be

like the sun

Fill

yourself with your light

and

by nature

it will

radiate

to those around you

— You Come First, Shifa Kapadwala (click to read the full piece)

Have you

met

the people

who think

they can

play God?

— Merciless, Shifa Kapadwala (click to read the full piece)

There is need

For each of our experiences

There is a demand

For each of us to show up

as our true selves

The way we were created to be

— A Word to Women, Shifa Kapadwala (click to read the full piece)