Warriors of the Word: Kaur Poetesses

Poetry gives voice to our soul. It illuminates our darkest fears and our brightest joys. Audre Lorde wrote that “poetry is not a luxury. It is a vital necessity of our existence.” Poetry, she said, is how we name the nameless. “It forms the quality of the light within which we predicate our hopes and dreams toward survival and change, first made into language, then into idea, then into more tangible action.” If you are ever in need of an inspirational moment, look no further than these Kaur warriors of the word. These Sikh women poetesses are in love with language and in love with empowering their readers.

Jasmin Kaur

Jasmin Kaur is fascinated by words and the power they hold to shape our environment. As a writer, Jasmin honours the powerful human connection experienced through storytelling and the common ground found through our diverse narratives. Instagram | Website

I descend from rebels

who return rage to the pacified

power to the marginalized

and thrones to the people.

- Jasmin Kaur

Harman Kaur

Through her art, Harman Kaur aims to empower women, specifically Sikh women, brown women and women of the Indian diaspora. Instagram

being a child of

guru gobind singh

and falling apart

does not make me

unworthy

even glass forged

from fire

breaks sometimes

- Harman Kaur

Rupinder Kaur

Rupinder Kaur is a poet and spoken word artist who is also a biomedical student from Birmingham. In English, Hindi, and Panjabi, Rupinder writes about a variety of topics ranging from culture to religion, from female empowerment to taboo subjects. Particularly, she likes to focus on Panjab in her writing. Instagram | Twitter | Website

If I have a daughter I hope she understands that;

Caring too much and feeling too much is

not a problem

But when it begins to give pain -

I hope she will stop

I know how it feels to give your everything

And never receive anything in return

I am used to it but, I will never let her get

used to being second preference

- Rupinder Kaur

Sandeep Kaur

Sandeep Kaur is a writer and social worker. She strives to empower sisterhood through storytelling and collaboration. "My writing is a way for me to dismantle the shame culture in our community. This is my kind of social work, in which I hope to spread awareness and create a safe atmosphere for women to tell their stories. In a way I am taking advocacy in my own hands, in a non-invasive approach. I like to tackle social issues, especially those that no one wants to talk about and create a collection of photo series highlighting such topics.” Instagram

the greatest lesson was the heartbreak

the greatest peace was in the lonely nights

the greatest blessing was in the moment

I chose to love myself whole

the healing | Sandeep Kaur

J. Kaur

J. Kaur, or Five River Flow, is a poet, spoken word artist, public speaker, workshops co-ordinator, and member of the Khalistan Activist Federation.

he says

even my love letters

are political

i guess that’s true

because each breath

of mine

is resistance

in motion.

- J. Kaur

Kiran Kaur

Kiran is a psychology student at the University of British Columbia in Canada. She also dabbles in photography and loves to incorporate her poetry with her photographs.

you deserve someone who will open their

eyes before the sun rises

only to catch a glimpse of the sun

sleeping next to them.

they will feel your warmth and realize

that even if the sun decided to set forever

they would get to see it rise every time you smiled.

you deserve a love who will kiss you because

they want to taste the poems on your tongue.

a love whose eyes will become honey when they meet yours.

a love whose tears won’t mind spilling at your fingertips.

- Kiran Kaur

Rupi Kaur

Rupi Kaur is a writer and artist based in Toronto, Canada. Her first performance was in 2009. In 2014, she published her first collection, Milk and Honey. All her art engages with themes of femininity, love, loss, trauma, and healing. Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Website

what’s the greatest lesson a woman should learn?

that since day one. she’s already had everything

she needs within herself.

it’s the world that convinced her

she did not.

- Rupi Kaur

Title: Warriors of the Word: Kaur Poetesses
Subject: en Harman Kaur; en J .Kaur; en Jasmin Kaur; en Kiran Kaur; en Poetry; en Rupi Kaur; en Rupinder Kaur; en Sandeep Kaur; See all items with this value Sikh poetry
Description: Kaur Life highlights some Kaur poetesses and their poetry.
Author: Kaur Life Board
Date: 3/1/2017

Item sets: Arts