A poem inspired by the film Gaslight (1940) that inspired the term ‘gaslighting’.
Writer’s note: Often films I see, or stories I read, influence the ideas I have when writing. I recently discovered the film that inspired the term ‘gaslighting’ (Gaslight, 1940) and [badum tss] decided to write something. I often get writer’s block, so poetry is short enough for me to get myself writing, but also get my creativity flowing again. This poem is the first one I have written in nearly 9 months, and I feel it may be simple, but one you can enjoy!
Our hearts yearn for that place of serene contentment, and pure happiness. In this piece, Maryam expands on the human nature to find peace and beauty. She uses the pretty colour of ripe peach fruit as inspiration.
My heart is bleached with insecurities, Seeking for light with all sincerity,
If only I could teach it, its inability to live, I would take away its pain, To paint a tree of peaches…
With beaches, untamed with riches Each page’s bewitched with Beauties, Then, just maybe I shall set to lay over its reaches…
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I stared at the presentation topic in confusion. I understood that they wanted to be creative with mother’s day nearing but this topic made no sense at all.
Firstly, what would we, as high school kids, know about being a mother? Secondly, how was this topic even applied to us? Lastly, with the amount of research we’ll be able to find, all of our presentations won’t last longer than one minute – maximum. With that being said, why is it even an option?
Yet, Mr Atticker gave us a week to compile research and come up with the perfect presentation for our mid-year marks. My mind was blocked, I had no idea where to begin.
My dad picked me up from school that day and I told him all about the presentation. “In your opinion, what does it mean to be a mother?” I asked. He took his time thinking about it whilst focusing on the road. After a moment, he replied, “Well, that’s easy isn’t it? Being a mother means caring for your children and being there when they need you.”
Credit: Unsplash / Annie Spratt
I thought about his answer for a long time after I got home. Was the answer really that simple? Was I overthinking the entire topic? Should his answer be the main idea of my presentation?
I don’t know.
When I came down from my room later that night, Mom was in the kitchen preparing dinner, still wearing her office attire. I stood at the kitchen island watching her manage the oven, the stove and cutting up vegetables at the same time. She greeted me with a tired smile when she noticed me.
Sam, my little brother, ran to the kitchen calling for her, “Mom! I need help with my homework!”
“Just a second,” she replied before taste testing her stew on the stove. She turned to me with a sheepish smile. “Honey, you don’t mind watching the food while I help your brother do you?” I nodded and took over cutting the vegetables as she ran to help my brother. I sighed, deep in thought. I wished there was something more I could do than help my mom with the food preparations. She’s always so tired when she gets home from work, yet she still cooks and helps us with our homework without any complaints.
I was so deep in thought that I almost didn’t notice the knife cutting my finger. I winced loudly and dropped the knife, bringing my finger to my face to examine it. Mom immediately ran into the kitchen and when she saw my bloody finger, she made a face.
She hurried and got the first aid kit from the bathroom before examining my finger herself. “You should’ve been more careful,” she said and placed a plaster around my finger. “I’m sorry,” I said, but she shook her head.
“Don’t worry, it’s okay. As long as it doesn’t hurt a lot,” Mom smiled at me and it suddenly hit me.
That night, after dinner, I sat at my desk and stared at the presentation topic again.
What does it mean to be a mother?
Credit: Unsplash / Jonatas Domingos
I picked up my pen and began writing.
To be a mother means being a superhero.
When our entire world turns dark they are always there for us. They are the light that helps us see again. They were there for us on our first day of school, and waited for us with a delicious lunch when we got home. They are always there when we feel like we’re on the verge of a mental breakdown, they provide the shoulder for us to cry on.
Plus, they always give the best advice and have our best interests at heart. Mothers care for us and protect us even if it means that they get hurt in the process.
Yet, we take all those things for granted.
Honestly, we will never really know the true meaning of motherhood until we experience it ourselves, and therefore we should cherish and appreciate our mothers even more. This mother’s day is the perfect day to do so.
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If you, or anyone you know, would like to join us as: email us at girlonthebusza@gmail.com or send us a message on our social media!
Everything set, The moonlight at its best, The stars spread in it flicker…
Everything said, The prayers in waiting, The wishes in longing, The soul in its craving for peace…
Every other day, I write through the brightness of my heart, I write through every broken piece of happiness left, I write through the years of untrue peace…
What would be the color of happiness? Yellow perhaps, like the waiting to dawn…
Thanks for reading!
If you, or anyone you know, would like to join us as: email us at girlonthebusza@gmail.com or send us a message on our social media!
Our tiny little chunk of rock (that’s how I like to think of Earth) has witnessed many great changes in a truly short amount of time. In my January post, I spoke about the fickle game we all play – time – and how we’re all born into this never ceasing rat race. Sometimes we just need a break. A break from toxic people, harmful places, scary thoughts… something to help us recover and relax. This is what I associate the blessed Islamic month of Ramadaan with.
Ramadaan is one of the months that form part of the Islamic lunar calendar. It is during this month that Muslims engage in compulsory fasting and abstaining from food and drink during the daylight hours. The fast is broken at sunset when the sky is red and is resumed in the morning before the sun rises.
Trust me though, this month is so spiritually spiced and human beings are created with such unknown resilience that your body and mind soon adapt to the changes. And as every Muslim will have you know, you might not be eating during the day, yet people pack on the most weight in these 30 days because of those delicious savouries, sweets and hearty dishes served at fast break (get it, breakfast).
E/N: I do not condone such corny jokes, and would like to not be associated with such behaviour…
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But this seemingly sudden change is more than just ‘starving’ ourselves. This abstinence extends to other worldly pleasures that can sometimes weigh down on us. These pleasures differ between people and cultures. For me, I take this month as a time to refrain from swearing (especially when I drive), chocolates, delaying my prayers for other things, and spending hours watching reaction videos about Nickacado Avocado.
Remember that spiritual spice I spoke about? Yes! The Almighty did not hold back, and this period is simply filled with opportunities to achieve great blessings, ask for forgiveness, make amends, and set goals for the rest of the year ahead.
Ramadaan is a time to rest your body and recharge your spirit.
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How often are we not made to simply accept situations that allow us to live materialistically in this world. A temporary world, nonetheless. We hustle so hard and never reach contentment, because we’re forced to believe that what we have is never, and will never, be enough. We sacrifice our souls, our hearts – and for what? A fleeting sense of admiration, until we become yesterday’s news.
Your heart, your soul, that connection to your greater purpose, is not worth sacrificing by tethering yourself to this tiny, little chunk of rock. Which is a temporary rock, nonetheless.
Even if you are not observing Ramadaan, make the intention to take your emotions into account and be more mindful of your spiritual and mental and emotional state for the rest of the year. That gut feeling is not all in your head, love.
Take a leap of faith, respect your journey, nourish your mind with knowledge and repair your soul with letting go of your earthly tether, if only but for a moment. Stay hydrated!
I might be looking too deep into this scenario, but Ariel literally losing her voice in order to be with a guy she had an apparent meet-cute with is not it, sis. Your voice is more than just the noise you make when someone puts a dirty plate in the sink just as you’re done with the dishes. It’s more than the noise you make when your period cramps decide to go full kamikaze on your insides. Your voice is not to be hidden, not to be held back, and not to be sacrificed for any reason.
Language and communication is an exceptionally powerful tool – and one that women have the potential to become masters in.
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Look at Farahneez Hassiem, teaching Deaf Muslims to recite the glorious chapters of the Qur’an. Aisha bint Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with her) who unfearfully taught men the beauty of Islam with great zest and passion. Nusaybah bint Ka’ab, who used her intellect, emotions and bad-assery to fight alongside and protect the Prophet Muhammad (May Allah be pleased with him). Lucy Edwards who makes YouTube videos on her daily life as a blind woman. Jasmine Alicia Carter using her menstrual blood to create daring pieces of art.
A woman talks back, thinks back, gives back – but never goes back on her word or looks back with regret. Nor gives her voice to a creepy witch. Nope, nope, nope.
That brings me to my next point. Ursula, a scorned woman (probably, I have a theory) seemingly goes out of her way to make the lives of other merfolk a misery. Evil becomes her. How often do we not hear of women being abused by their parents? And when left unresolved, they carry this generational abuse with them by either becoming abusers themselves or falling prey to abusive relationships. I’m not trying to defend Ursula as the villain of the film, but perhaps she is an adult bully trying to call for help – how many of us are not lashing out? Perhaps our default response of “it’s not that bad, it’ll get better” to those tough times is becoming absolute in these uncertain and stressful times.
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My final thoughts – a real woman does not sacrifice who she is for anyone. A real woman does not damper her thoughts, which Allah has masterfully created and perfected. A real woman does not hurt other women. A real woman helps other women receive the correct and needed mental health help. A real woman lives her life, fully and with grace… being humble, being at peace. Acknowledging that she can be a b!tch, admitting when she had done wrong, accepting criticism and forgiving others.
In short, don’t be like me and over-analyse an ancient Disney princess movie. But please do. And then write about it and submit it to us at girlonthebusza@gmail.com (everyone loves a product plug-in).
Above all else, polish your soul with faith. Nourish your heart with love. Protect your mind with knowledge. And stay hydrated!
A list of our #SHADY monthly colour themes for 2021.
Art taken from @seaoflove on Tumblr: “hilma af clint, untitled (1931)”
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One of our first ideas for 2021 was to introduce the theme of colours for each month: emotions, aesthetics, meaningfulness and more. The idea behind #SHADY is to celebrate the vibrancy of the spectrum of life – especially after the year we’ve had in 2020🌟.
Here are the colours for #SHADY 2021:
Feb: White – fresh starts, love
March: Aquamarine– calmness, International Women’s Day
April: Yellow– happiness, Ramadaan
May: Peach– nature, flora, Mothers’ Day
June: Light Blue– peacefulness
July: Red – contentment
Aug: Green – youth, nurturing, youth, Women’s Month
Sept: Brown– strength, Heritage Month
Oct: Pink/Black– Cancer Awareness Month, Halloween
Nov:Lilac – Beauty, Days of Activism
Dec: Gold– festivity, celebration
We keep GOTB alive by asking our community for contribution – and we are always open to new creatives. If you’d like to send us some your writing, then contact us at girlonthebusza@gmail.com 🐥
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