"Teaching My Mother How to Give Birth" Quotes
Exploring themes of womanhood, love, and identity, Warsan Shire's poetry collection delves into the complexities of mother-daughter relationships and cultural heritage.
poetry | 37 pages | Published in 2011
Quotes
I belong deeply to myself.
I have my mother's mouth and my father's eyes; on my face they are still together.
You can't make homes out of human beings.
No one leaves home unless home is the mouth of a shark.
I am a lover without a lover.
You are terrifying and strange and beautiful, something not everyone knows how to love.
I locked myself in your bathroom and you told me that it was the safest place in the whole damn house.
You cannot make homes out of human beings, someone should have already told you that.
When love arrives, say, 'Welcome, make yourself comfortable.'
Give your daughters difficult names. Give your daughters names that command the full use of tongue.





