A Poem by Rosie Snajdr

Rosie Snajdr, 23, Cambridge, UK


If i haven't the heart to tell you
again, as when once we
lay in sheets of rain
those real words you
didn't like my mouth
to say it's this: nothing
has changed i am the same

and if i haven't the sense
to play your accomplice
in this delicate erasure only
and scatter the dirt we tracked
upon that wet day's grave
to throw a deathly lie a wake
to hang my heart for shame

and if i haven't the will
to contemplate consequence
to lie about another or whatever
you say you must do
nothing is changing
is changing my love
nothing is changing
nothing we do

Street Crud by Rhoda Gamble

This was written by me when I was 17, when I had no self respect for my self and was really low on self esteem, I just fellt really down in general and the only way I could describe it was putting it into a sort of poem.

Rhoda Gamble, 23, Newcastle, UK

"STREET CRUD"

What am I, who am I
What can I do to tell
Where do I get my standards from
To measure me so well

What do others think of me
What image do I portray
I look at my reflection
And ask it everyday

I look in the mirror
What do I really see
Is it the person others make
Or is it really me?

The inner fear of others thoughts
Torment me everyday
Not happy with the face that I see
I often turn away

What if I do not conform
And become a fashion clone
will they turn, reject my love
Will I then be alone?

When the fear inside me swells
Being separate from the crowd
I look for those to pick upon
To make my self feel proud

The lowest form of feeling good
Is to tread upon another
To make them feel unwanted
So my ego can recover

Fragile ego, insecure,
Low esteem and shame
Is this what I really feel
When someone calls my name?

I feel shy not number one
Not easy with my self
Will I one day find true love
Or be left upon a shelf

They're trendy so they must be right
They're in, they all achieve
I'm not, I'm wrong, I'm only me
Not worthy to believe.

Just hold it there, just wait a sec
Take time to stop and think
What is it you tell yourself
That puts you on the brink

Is this how it really is
Or is it in your mind
Do we see ourselves like this
Or to ourselves be blind?

To be the you that you can be
The you locked up inside
Free yourself from deep within
No longer there to hide

You must believe in who you are
In all that you can do
And be prepared to give your heart
To others just like you

Through doing this that you will find
That others do the same
To give and not to ask return
To others just like you

And after you begin to like
the person in the glass
The one that used to turn away
Is now your friend at last

Indian Lesbian Writers

Hello, myself Prianka,

Some Indian are openly Lesbian, there is one writer who has made some lesbian stories, visit this website for a famous short story by Ismat Chughtai.

http://www.wluml.org/english/pubsfulltxt.shtml?cmd%5B87%5D=i-87-2671

A message for all the Lesbians around the world; by Claudia, London.

I want to post a message for all the Lesbians around the world who are attacked because of who they are! Keep strong, and always be who you are!!

From a lesbian, I am Claudia, 28 living in London.

She Dwelt Among the Untrodden Ways, by William Wordsworth

She Dwelt Among the Untrodden Ways
by William Wordsworth

She dwelt among the untrodden ways
Beside the springs of Dove,
A maid whom there were none to praise
And very few to love:

A violet by a mossy stone
Half hidden from the eye!
Fair as a star-- when only one
Is shining in the sky.

She lived unknown, and few could know
When Lucy ceased to be;
But she is in her grave, and, oh,
The difference to me!

from Anon. (UK)
This poem seemed really fitting. My love to the Lesbian women in India!

Letter from the Director of the L-A-I

To the reader,

The struggle with your emotions when friends and family are sitting by your side, holding your hand is hard enough to bear. I think we have all experienced moments when we felt so overcome by grief that nothing seemed to make sense. For me, I have always found the support of my friends invaluable. They are the ones who sit and listen, what ever the problem may be, whether over an afternoon tea or in the middle of the night. So when I begin to imagine what it is to face these problems alone I begin to crumble, and yet in India the women appear to remain strongly calm and composed. These women have learnt to face the world, come what may, regardless of the pain they may be feeling deep within their hearts. As I spent more time in India, watching as seasons change, and the scorching summer sun slips behind the splendid monsoon clouds, my admiration for these women increases. Occasionally I am lucky enough to be allowed into the inner sanctum. I am invited to eat, drink and share the thoughts of one of these woman. For hours I have found myself deep in conversation, touching on subjects and diving into others that are passing her lips for the first time. Taboos of India are often lost on me, so I will talk under, over, and through them all. It is so important for each of us to find a release: a way to express ourselves and our thoughts on every aspect of life. No one should suffer in silence, and each of us has something unique and wonderful he or she can share. With this in mind I offer my support and encouragement to any women in India who know what it is to love another women, and to those who are unsure, search your heart and you will surely find what your looking for.

Best Wishes

Molly Blackburn
Executive Director
Lesbian Association of India