麻豆约拍

From Muneera Pilgrim, cultural producer:

My cousin Kelly tells me I am the family Poet Laureate. Whenever there鈥檚 a celebration, I scribe something behalf of the family.听

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But if you ask me, my professional life shows up in my personal through my deep need to express.

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I don鈥檛 always fight for my need, and when I don鈥檛 I feel low and rejected. But the very first time I did, I became addicted to honouring myself, and my truth.

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I鈥檝e only had a few romantic relationships, and I鈥檝e only lived with one partner.

Though I liked him, it was clear from the outset this was not going to work.听

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Maybe it was one too many rom-coms as a girl, but I felt pressure to put my all into the relationship and turn it around.

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We would survive, even when he would call me names and compared me to other women. Even when he refused to talk to me if I did not train, or if I听ate something he considered unhealthy. I had to make this work, even though I was unhappy.听

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On one particular morning I woke up with a fire in my eyes, and a new song in my chest.

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I was tired of not expressing and feeling restricted. There was no argument beforehand, but I knew that day would be the end. I woke up extra early and cried in the shower for what felt like hours.听

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When I came downstairs, I didn鈥檛 have to say anything I knew there would be a criticism of some sort, and I was right. As soon as he closed his mouth, I turned to him and cried a piercing cry - the look of confusion on his face. He did not know what to do or what it meant. For me it was a love note to my self. I cried for all the times I was silent, for all the times I had bitten my tongue,听I cried, and what a beautiful song it was.

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The day after I went on tour for 2 weeks. When I returned he had moved out. A break up is never easy, and that was my hardest, but I felt brave.

Rumi, the 16th century Muslim mystic said;

I want to sing like the birds sing, not worrying about who hears or what they think. And on that day in East London, I did just that.