Nayyirah Waheed Quotes

Some words build houses in your throat. and they live there, content and on fire.

the rain in this room is low and thickand undressing my heart through the air. – intimacy

my mother gave me islam.my father gave me the god of absence.and here i am.a religion made of myself.

we are houses eaten by rivers because we do not know their smell.

healingbeginsthe momentyouwant it to

there is you and you.this is a relationship.this is the most important relationship.

the thing you are mostafraid to writewrite that-- advice to young writers

it is being honest about my painthat makes me invincible.

he was so beautiful because when he held her he was not concerned with ‘being a man.’ ‘being a man’ had nothing to do with this. these flowers pouring from his chest. – weightless

if the ocean can calm itself, so can you.we are both salt water mixed with air.

If someone does not want me it is not the end of the world. But if I do not want me, the world is nothing but endings.

there is no healthier drug than creativity.

i am a woman and a poem. – visceral

as a childthere was eitherbooksorpain.i chose books.-how i became a writer

the worstthing that ever happenedtothe worldwasthe white man coming across gun powder.–– the end of the world | the beginning of white supremacy

No’ might make them angry but it will make you free.

never trust anyone who says they do not see color. this means to them, you are invisible.

Just because someone desires you, it does not mean that they value you.Read it over.Again.Let those words resonate in your mind.

younot wanting mewasthe beginning of mewanting myselfthank you

Desire is the kind of thing thateats youandleaves you starving.