Black Indiana Poet Supports Minority Mental Health With Powerful Slam Poem

Everyone loves poetry, especially that poetry that hits you inside, runs through your veins like an electric shock, provoking your emotions, and inspiring new thoughts and feelings...

...and planting the seeds of hope, growth, and empowerment.

Aisha Tariqa Abdul Haqq's new featured poem is taken from her first book ‘Four Years in Chrysalis’ and is part of her effort to highlight the struggles of sexual, religious, ethnic and other minorities throughout the world, sharing stories and ideas that offer hope and empowerment.

Her work is now more relevant than ever, with growing economic and social unrest shedding light on important issues such as inequality, racism, religious discrimination and freedom of choice.

Go to https://www.aishatariqa.com/landing-page for more information!

The latest announcement is in line with Aisha Tariqa's vision of creating poetry that evokes emotion and thought in its reader. She aims to connect with her audience on a personal level in order to promote understanding and help those experiencing harsh circumstances feel less isolated.

The poem highlights the effects of social injustices faced by many minorities today. These include hatred and violence towards the LGBTQ+ community, the singling out of people of color, body shaming, sexual harassment, and religious discrimination - all of which can have devastating consequences on those affected.

Speaking of the meaning of the new poem, Aisha Tariqa says: "This poem identifies the fight all minorities and infringed individuals of the world must face in their day-to-day lives. When you lose your right to self-determination, you lose all control".

It reads as follows:

"Out of body experience

When one loses identity

In the face of opposition

It is sickening

When the face of difference

Owns expressions of passivity

*

Value is determined

By the ability to mark one’s own self to standard

For one’s body to move in tune to the oppression

Of the raised ones

It is repetitive: the rhythmic braising and hazing of beings

It is manic: the picking and pruning of meaning

The bruising of exteriors causes facelift and shapeshift to interiors

And we live this, constantly

*

Read carefully

Because there comes a time when dreams no longer match hesitations

And one step forward feels like a miracle

For we all experience the excess of exhaustion when we fight

And the freedom of flight when it goes"

Aisha Tariqa resonates with her reader by describing the impact oppression has on mental health and wellbeing - however, in the third stanza, the tone of the poem changes as Aisha Tariqa offers the reader hope. She encourages her reader to take back control and free themselves of the pain.

She wants her audience to realize and remember that despite the struggles they face, there is still good in the world and that life is full of inspiring and uplifting stories. She wants the reader to know that they are not alone and that there is hope for freedom, healing, and growth.

About Aisha Tariqa Abdul Haqq

Based in Indiana, Aisha Tariqa Abdul Haqq is a renowned poet who began to write poetry at the age of ten. She writes about universal experiences with a particular focus on the struggles of minorities, encouraging self-reflection and healing.

Aisha Tariqa states, "Stories about positive body image, Black and LGBT pride, and religious freedom are out there. Stories about hope, acceptance, and love do exist—even in a world that seems so full of hate".

The poem is one of a collection entitled ‘Four Years of Chrysalis’, written over a period of four years - a powerful lyrical exploration of grief, loss, heartbreak, and emotional growth.

You can buy the book on Amazon in hardback, paperback, or Kindle, and Aisha Tariqa is active on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at @AishaTariqa where you can keep up to date with her latest news.

Go to https://bit.ly/AishaTariqaBooks to find all Aisha's work!