It is important to me that we all I've in a world where everyone should be made to feel welcome and happy to be alive. It breaks my heart to think that there are people out there that do not feel this way.
When I was little, in Primary school, I had two best friends, Ragwinder Kaur and Michelle. I can't for the life of me remember Michelle's surname, to be fair, it was a long time ago. Well, Ragwinder was an Asian girl, Michelle was a black girl and I am white. I didn't care about colour then, I still don't now and this is a trait that I learnt from my parents. I am proud of my parents, both of them and I will always be grateful that they brought me, my sister and my brothers up to be good people, with good morals. This is the reason, or at least one of the reasons why I am so pleased and proud to be a part of Poets Against Racism. Not only do I want to make my family proud of the person that I have become, but also because it really does bother me. I have questions. My main ones are: Why do we have to tar everyone with the same brush? Why can't people be accepted for who they are? Why, in the 21st century do we still live in a segregated world? We do. regardless of how we look at it and it is not just race. It is everything from sexual orientation, disability, age and the list goes on. The Equality and Diversity Act (2010) was supposed to have erased any kind of discrimination, but it still goes on. I once heard someone ask a gay person why they feel the need to parade, what it is that makes them any different to us? Why should straight people have to watch people prancing about the streets in celebration for who you are? Her answer was simple. She said, 'be thankful that you don't feel the need to celebrate who you are.' Of course, she is right. It was once a crime to be gay and in some countries, it still is. I am not gay, or by or trans. I am not black or Asian, but I know what it feels like to be on the receiving end of prejudice, but not because of who I am. It was just bullies...JUST bullies! Like many others in this world, I am a survivor. So, when I get up on that stage at the Bar Beacon Music and Food Festival on the 3rd and 4th of August (2019). I will be doing so as part of Poets Against Racism, not just because I am a poet and I am against racism, but I will be getting up to read in support of my fellow survivors. Whether you have survived racism, sexism, ageism, being a victim of prejudice because of a disability or being bullied because the bullies have not got anything better to do than to hurt others. When I get up on that stage I will read my poems, and those poems will be for you. Stay strong. You were never a victim, you are a survivor.
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AuthorI am the author of a book called Innocent Spirits, I write short Novella's and Short stories. I love to dabble with a bit of Poetry. All my stories are either Horror or paranormal Thrillers. I write poetry of all genres. Archives
July 2019
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