Guest blog contributor - Aisha Akram

Described as Aisha's journey through life through poetry, the collection explores the circumstances and identities she was given before she ever had the chance to choose them. Through poems on coming out, love, heartbreak, religious trauma, mental health, family relationships and social justice, Aisha reflects on the advantages, limitations and realities that have shaped her experience of the world.

Reflecting on what the collection means to her, Aisha shared:

The Cards I Have Been Dealt highlights the different cards, or identities, that I have taken on and how they have shaped different aspects of my life - from sexuality and religion to family, love and social justice.

As a Queer Muslim, this collection means the absolute world to me. In a world where being myself can feel like a challenge and where I am often scrutinised by different communities, this book offers a raw account of how I exist and how I maintain hope.

I gave my all to this collection and poured so much of my soul into every poem, drawing on my darkest moments, the times when I thought I could no longer carry on, the moments when I realised the extent of the injustices we face, and the moments when love pulled me through.

Pride is for all of us. Queer Muslims exist.

The Cards I Have Been Dealt is now out in the world.

To give readers a glimpse into the collection, Aisha has kindly shared one of the poems from her debut collection, The Cards I Have Been Dealt.

alternate universe 

in an alternate universe,

you would look at me with kind eyes,

the warmth of your pupils meeting mine

as i find comfort in the fact that my iris

was designed in the image of yours.

everyone always told me i looked like you

since the day that i was born,

bold brown eyes with a softly curved nose

and a smile that makes the brightest light seem dim.

you would tell me that it will all be okay,

that it is beautiful that my heart is held by a woman

with a calmness that settles my anxious soul.

you would shop in the pride aisle of every supermarket in june

and fill bags of things you think i would love

and i would not think it was cringy,

like most people with accepting parents do

but i would cherish the fact that you see me.

all of me.

you would hear relatives ask me about my love life

and i would not feel my insides crawl

as you brush it off with \"she is just career driven.\"

instead, you would take my hand and tell them

that i have found a love so soft that

clouds do not even attempt to compete with her.

you would ask me about them

and i would tell you that if you split open a sunset,

you would find her floating around the warm colours

as she embodies autumnal colours in human form

yet i love her in every single season.

in an alternate universe,

you too would love me fully in every season.

Aisha Akram is a Manchester-based poet and spoken word artist. As a Lesbian Muslim woman, her work explores identity, faith, love and social justice. Her debut collection, The Cards I Have Been Dealt, is a deeply personal exploration of the experiences that have shaped her life and identity.

You can learn more about Aisha\'s work and purchase the collection via Poetry by Aisha Akram.