IN HER THOUGHTS

Love is a powerful force that can heal and transform lives. It can bring joy, happiness, and fulfillment. However, sometimes love finds its way to someone who is broken, someone who has been hurt by life's challenges and struggles. Loving a broken person requires patience, understanding, and a willingness to embark on a journey of compassion and healing.  When someone is broken, it means they have experienced significant pain or trauma in their lives. This could be due to past relationships, childhood experiences, or even mental health issues. These experiences have left them feeling wounded and vulnerable. As their partner or loved one, it is essential to recognize their pain and approach them with empathy.   The first step in loving a broken person is understanding that their healing process may take time. They may have built walls around themselves as a defense mechanism against further hurt. Breaking down these walls requires patience and consistent support. It means being...

Varun Gaba Once upon a time in a small time, there lived a young man named Simon. He was a brave soul, he wore his heart on his sleeves filled with big dreams. However, little did he know his journey would be overshadowed by the pressure and expectations society placed upon him simply because his shoulders were broader and wore pants.  The weight i carry, t he curse of being a man! From an early age, Simon was taught that he must be tough and showing/expressing emotions was a sign of weakness. He was expected to provide for his family, protect them from harm, and be the pillar of strength in the times of trouble. But what about him? This is where his inner battles emanated from, to keep a balance between societal expectations versus preserving his carefree nature. These expectations weighed heavily on his shoulders as he grew older. The more he lost touch with his true nature . As he entered adulthood, the pressure to succeed became overwhelming. Society dictated that he must climb...

  In the depths of a troubled mind, a battle unseen,   Where shadows dance and whispers meet.   A fragile soul, burdened with despair,   Lost in a maze of thoughts unfair.     Mental Health, a delicate thread to hold,   The journey embarked, and only you can make the journey.   It’s scary and adventurous.   In this realm of darkness   Lies haunting thoughts if it is all worth it.     Like a hurricane, emotions crash against each other,   Disappointment opens, like an endless wave.   Eventually, you give up and bite the dust.   We cannot avoid this reality; we must shed some light.     In the depths of despair, there are strengths to be found,   A glimmer of hope that it could reunite.   Reach out to those who are falling,   Because together we remain united through it all.   Let empathy be our guiding star, ...

Do you ever speak to yourself? Have conversations with yourself in the mirror Yes, I mean the ISSA RAE on Insecure vibes I do a lot, of ... Things i never say out loud but constantly struggle with: I always feel like an impostor Uncertainty heightens my anxiety My insecurities makes me overthink I struggle with self validation My scope of potential is limited to people's validation It's not complaining it just has been suppressed for a little too long   So when i get an ear i offload all to feel the relief just for a day Until the cycle begins again Negative words are labelled bad. Don't speak too little of yourself they say. But how can you be good without confronting the bad. Isn't it just pretending? I recommend mirror conversations, talk to yourself. Be comfortable with your own company.

  To be loved and to love wholly, with no restraint nor self-deprivation. A place of saying what you mean, how you feel and how it makes you numb. We find ourselves agreeing to somethings out of pressure or rather in the name of being the bigger person. Letting go of what is constantly hurting you because of the fear of confrontation – a vicious cycle that unleashes a can of worms or Pandora's box.   That is where I draw the line, I will never be a cool girlfriend, relative or colleague either.   Been there, done that… I answered every whim, going above and beyond what I was asked for. I was a typical COOL go-to-person. The one that fed on claims of being mature. At that point what phased normal girls somehow did not strike a nerve. Or so I thought? Rather I had signed myself up to a prolonged excruciating death, leaving myself dead inside to an extent that my cup ran empty and there was not much to give anymore.   We don’t say this enough but being ...

Because i'm a black woman. The color of my skin is my curse, I carry it like a burden, A reason to be slut shamed in the streets, Or a man feeling entitled to this black body, A symbol of a price to be won. We traded hurt words and white supremacy curiosity, To be violated by our own, flesh and blood, The same, the same (sigh) blood cruises in our veins, Yet GBV is still on the rise, Young girls are being raped, sold to be a sex symbol for old arrogant dudes, old enough to be their fathers, It is a curse we carry, the melanin pigment that shines bright, We should be celebrating it, yet we lie low, Hide our daughters, h ere they come, Pain has become our birthright, bitter they call us but what do they expect, Every action has a reaction,  Sorry if we offend you but we are just being defensive to protect ourselves from this cold cold world.

"If Kim Kardashian can't escape this, then what chance do normal women have?" -Trevor Noah. One in three women worldwide has experienced some form of violence or harassment. Yesterday, a man touched my bum on a pavement in the heart of CBD! For the first time in years, I felt powerless. How can someone have that much entitlement over my body? The group walked away with a smack wide-grin-of-victory plastered on their faces.  I had two options, either confronting these men and probably getting assaulted or walking away. I walked away with disgust and resentment because it felt safer. "It's never their fault anyway, right. It is always how we dress, act or walk?" It is deeply disturbing that this pervasive behaviour against women is appropriated, it is somehow a "social norm". You cannot walk freely or interact online without your looks being judged, bullied or slut shamed. And when you react you are either "seeking attention or the angry black w...

If i say i don't miss you i would be lying I hear your voice in a crowd calling for me Sometimes i think you are lost waiting to be found With open arms stretched out to give you a warm embrace Truly when a prodigal son returns, a father rejoices So will I... For that little time you have been anchored into my soul It's unfortunate God had other plans, a nd you had none Only if you acted more than you talked Maybe you would be right here with me I do miss you, the way you knew when something was wrong Or the acts of service I swear that was your love language And i loved it too I miss the goofiness and the way i laughed with no restraint nor shame I loved how i was when i was around you I'm grateful you made me experience this one of kind of love Somewhat close to normal from this world filled with greed and competition to show each other who cares less So if say i don't miss you i would be lying to myself

I need more time in a day, I have so many ideas and aha moments, I recently bought a diary, i jot them down one by one, That way they can last a lifetime, Hopefully manifest in the near future and not be engulfed by dust mites. I need more time in a day, To make a mark, to prove my worth, to establish my relevance, So many plans, so many dreams, I hope i will not make my gravesite an expensive site of unrealised dreams of BEING; A mother A writer An entrepreneur An explorer A storyteller A lover And some dreams i haven't realised yet. I really wish had more time in a day.

A feeling so pure and fulfilling, I have been in love before We underrate finding a soul that compliments yours intentionally You are in sync, everything just flows It doesn't feel forced When you meet the vultures that are always looming around for their next prey Ready to pounce on your flesh and leave you unrecognisable You will understand the intensity of pure love I have been in love before, it is different kind of feeling

I believed her when she said she was leaving Being at the mercy of everyone is never a good sight Words from all directions, blowing you like a paper in the wind Spinning and spinning, sucking the sanity out of you Eventually you will lose it, and leaving is the only way out So when she cleared her desk and bid farewell I bet it felt like the Mandela walk from prison or when Desmond Tutu won a Nobel peace prize I saw a woman drawing her last strength I saw hope that i can also stand up for myself She has had enough of being mensplained, undervalued, disregarded and sidelined. Power to her So when she said i'm leaving i believed her. I saw a WIN

I’m not sure if I will ever post this one, but when I do know tables are going to be shaken. Probably a few blocked or why the hell did you do that. But well, here it goes. You got a girl messed up, why would you bring another lady though. Friend, sister of a friend or whatever in between, that isn’t right. There’s a code to these things, don’t make a girl look stupid or surprised. Yeah, I’m a sucker for surprises, but this right here, no man it’s not screwed on right. Rewind… I met this guy two weeks prior through a friend. Let’s call him John Doe, we were getting to know each other. Conversations on the phone and calls too (insert blush imoji). Everything was going well, pretty much it showed we were both interested in getting to know each other. It was a done deal, signed, sealed and delivered. If you ask me! Dreamy right? He brought my favourite chocolates and marshmallows when we first met. Girl I was like take me already. Haha kidding, in my mind though c'mon boy was paying...

I never thought it could be me; My heart dropped, I couldn't breath Everything froze, I could hear voices from a distance I fell down five feet where only my thoughts -re grets and shame haunted me more than the thought it was me I promised myself as a little girl, grow up and always take care of yourself Was so blameless, it seemed attainable for a girl that was driven by goals Or was it stubbornness that I had to be better Abounded at 2, I promised myself I will never need my oppressors That I will never confirm their vile thoughts against me That I had the willpower to write my own story Now years later all I have is tears of regret, replaying scenarios of how I could have done it better. The next thing I remember  I was gasping for air as if my life depended on it My sheets drenched in a pool of sweat, my crooked lips parted with a shout for help That's when I realised it was only a dream I promised myself this particular dream I will never make it come to true.

Ouch! That hurts. Why did you have to do that? To instill wisdom in that thick head of yours. Why did you go behind my back about my illness?  What did you have me do? You left me with no option. You chose to hide in your head and shut me out. I wanted to help. I really did but you made helping you so hard. I had to tell him about it. After all he is your fiance, were you going to keep it from him forever? I had to do what a good best friend does - meddling in your business and am not sorry I did it if at all doing that is helping you. So, if doing it again will earn me another knock on my head then well go ahead. Am so done with you. I hate having a snitch as a best friend. Oh my! That hurt so bad. I felt my legs being lifted off the ground into the air and then brought down again at a pace I could not handle which made me clutch to the ground for support. It was too much to comprehend. Why would Latavia do this to me? I was only trying to help her. She has been having too many ep...

📸Houcine Ncib  And if they ask me what heaven looks like, I will tell them that heaven – my heaven is a semi sweet bottle of Lambrusco with you after a busy Friday at work. My heaven is chicken wings and pork ribs for breakfast. My heaven is in lending you a hand, an ear, a shoulder, heck it’s in giving you a kidney if you are to ever need one. My heaven is here, my heaven was here, my heaven was passionate, she was profound and powerful, my heaven was in the way we could have full conversations without speaking a word, it was in you making me laugh. They say that every time God yawns, a star is born into the night sky, every time he sneezes a miracle takes place. You were all of that to me – a miracle, a star so bright you blinded me of my imperfections. You did your very best to hide my imperfections from the world, to protect me from the bullies, to seal the cracks in my boat and create a heaven for me here on earth. You showed me the beauty within the beast that I was, you t...

📸 Thought Catalog There was a time I would toss and turn at night and listen to my heartache. I had a lot of questions because we were happy and inseparable. But then everything happened too fast and it felt like I was forcing things. I have never openly told anyone about how your disappearing act broke me. You were my best friend and I loved you as my sister.  If we were to meet today, I would ask you to explain to me what went wrong? I thought you would be my maid of honour on my wedding day, I thought we would raise our kids together, I thought..... we would have each other's back until the end.  You were a part of my life and I am grateful to have met you. I cannot erase those memories we shared because we smiled and laughed together. Thank you for being a part of my life for a season. I hope you are happy and healthy. You deserve to live your best life. There was a time I thought I would struggle without you in my life. But when you walked away or ghosted me I suffered f...

📸 Bronwyn Janse   Meeting new people is an experience A glorified experience at that, it’s the hopes in your cheeks that make you smile uncontrollably The pure experience of acceptance and genuine connection in  the eyes of a stranger You meet someone for some inexplicable reason It’s unexpected but yet surprisingly delightful   Though some are for a season and some for a lifetime Time runs out and the sun burns late Why don't we talk about the pain of friendships breakups? A bond that was once strong, being vulnerable and open up How they become so dear then quickly turn into a stranger   Perhaps this person was only supposed to carry us through a season Or sent for a higher purpose or lesson They say the reason for people’s presence will become clear in due time. But still it hurts when they go away, how can you un-know every memory and their existence? But if incarnation would be true I’d would like to meet you again Just one m...

  📸 Jakob Owens “How come you are no longer active on Instagram?” I asked. “I deactivated my Instagram account,” She said. “Why?” I probed “Looking at other people’s perfect lives and perfect bodies was making me depressed.” She said. I went on to tell her that she should not have to compare herself with other people online. No one’s life is as perfect as it seems. As individuals, we need to be able to decipher between reality and a façade. There are applications where people edit pictures to get that perfect body, perfect face and glowing skin (not forgetting the use of filters). So why would you compare yourself to the thousands of people using applications to perfect their lives? When you look around at the reality, you see that almost everyone has a body part that they are insecure about. When we sit most of our stomachs fold, we have back fat, and not every woman is blessed with a big behind. I am not in denial that there are people with perfect bodies. But, the s...