breathe-bleed-burn

[breathe-bleed-burn]

this wednesday i woke up late and was forced to take an uber (rather than struggle with the mbta) in order to be somewhat on time for work. an old black cadillac with a large dent in the door arrived and the moment i entered the car, my driver gave a butchered pronunciation of my name and asked what its origin was. feeling more open than usual (and also still in the process of waking up), i shared that my name was in fact kurdish, thinking this would appease my drivers curiosity. 

instead, his curiosity only seemed to grow. “hmmm kurdish? so are you from kazakhstan? or iran maybe?” the ethnic ambiguity of my appearance was clearly troubling this man. he continued, “when i saw your name, it was totally unfamiliar. and then i saw you standing there, and i thought this lady is maybe indian? or ethiopian like myself.”

i have long faced this type of commentary, almost always from strangers who i am unlikely to cross paths with again. this man was not ill-intentioned, and after i clarified that i am in fact sudanese-american, we had a pleasant conversation around his own ethiopian immigrant experience for the remainder of my unusual commute to work.

but it does bother me that people i do not know find themselves uncomfortable with ambiguity and feel entitled to my life history so that they can fit me into a box.

[breathe-bleed-burn]

I don’t sleep a lot but I am always dreaming.

paletemptations // 1:14am (via wnq-writers)

2017 in a sentence

[breathe-bleed-burn]

Bohemian Tree Villa Nestled In India

Just a few feet away from the Kuda caves in Tala, Maharashtra lies an idyllic resort, the perfect spot for poets to spill their hearts’ desires and for painters to capture the essence of rural India on their canvas.

Keep reading

[breathe-bleed-burn]

[breathe-bleed-burn]

New Starry Night Oil Miniature Paintings by Tree Hollow Designs

Indie boutique TreeHollowDesigns (previously featured here) showcases their stunning hand-crafted work with a series of day, night and nature-themed collections. Depicting a vibrant starry night, TreeHollowDesigns highlights the deep blue color of the cosmos and its glimmering stars. You can check out more adorable designs at their Etsy shop.

View similar posts here!

[breathe-bleed-burn]

time to yourself

at first, only loss and loneliness

more time lent reflection, self discovery

but i have yet to escape

our happy memories

or these hopeful fantasies

[breathe-bleed-burn]

Maybe none of us really understand what we’ve lived through, or feel we’ve had enough time…

Kazuo Ishiguro, Never Let Me Go (via wordsnquotes)

[breathe-bleed-burn]

do i hold on to all the times you held me or told me you cared and cling to this long distance relationship

or do i take the recent radio silence as evidence that things have changed and let you break my heart

[breathe-bleed-burn]

It is funny how you do not miss affection until it is given, but once it is, it can never be enough; you would drown in it if possible.

Libba Bray, The Sweet Far Thing (via wordsnquotes)

happily drowning a bit this week <3

[breathe-bleed-burn]

feeling a bit un-needed lately

there are friends and people to spend time with

but fewer people who need me specifically

a lil too ~replaceable ~basic ~distant

[breathe-bleed-burn]

Study the hurtful patterns of your life. Then don’t repeat them.

Yasmin Mogahed (via thequotejournals)

[breathe-bleed-burn]

exhausted and apathetic

[breathe-bleed-burn]

this is problematic

PSYCHOLOGY FACT #458

An average high school kid today has the same level of anxiety as an average psychiatric patient in the early 1950′s.

Read more psychology facts Here

[breathe-bleed-burn]

no loss has ever made me so happy

[breathe-bleed-burn]

When you are attracted to people, it’s because of the details. Their kindness. Their eyes. The fact that they can get you to laugh when you need it the most.

Jodi Picoult, Sing You Home (via wordsnquotes)

[breathe-bleed-burn]

it’s only been only two weeks and i’m dying to go back

Taken in Khartoum. 

[breathe-bleed-burn]

lmao at finding a picture of my mother circulating on tumblr

Jalabiyatob’s parents on their wedding day in Khartoum, Sudan, 1970s.