“Where else can I go
When I’m too something for the mainstream
When I’m too extreme to be humanised
Or too liberal to be trusted
Just too unconventional
My face too covered
Or my hair not covered enough
Too black and not Arab enough
Not desi enough
Too queer or misunderstood
Too revert and not schooled enough
Too sell out and not bold enough”
Hodan Yusuf is a writer, poet, multimedia freelance journalist, and photographer. She is a poet & spoken word artist. Hodan is also a mediator and trainer in conflict resolution & peace building.
Her poetry stands for Justice, Equality and Islamic human rights. When you listen to her spoken word performance, you’ll feel yourself being purged of stereotypes & assumptions. Every line of poetry engulfs you into new levels understanding and being conscious of your own ideologies, and taking steps to having them reproved.
Her work is marinated in love, religious acceptance, and full equality. Here are a couple of her spoken word performances.
Hodan Yusuf at Bare Lit Festival
To see more poems and performance by Hodan, follow her on Twitter.
Introductory Hodan Yusuf poem was taken from the Critical Muslim website.