East Baton Rouge Parish Library

These are the words, Nikita Gill

eng

illustrations

no index present

non fiction

These are the words

Nikita Gill

"A compassionate, restorative collection" Kirkus Reviews From international poetry sensation Nikita Gill comes her highly anticipated YA debut These Are the Words: an empowering, feminist and beautifully illustrated poetry collection exploring all the things Nikita wished someone had told her when she was younger. Reclaim your agency. Discover your power. Find the words. Taking you on a journey through the seasons of the soul, in this collection Nikita gives you the words to help heal from your first breakup, to celebrate finding your family, to understand first love, to express your anger and your joy, to fight for what you believe in and to help you break some rules to be your truest self. Gorgeously illustrated throughout by Nikita herself and featuring seasonal astrological poetry, this collection is an achingly beautiful, stunningly warm and fearless expression of truth from one of the most influential and well-known voices in modern poetry

Before we begin -- Signs at the beginning of summer -- On the first wave of summer -- A love story -- What summer is for -- Clay -- The many mothers -- Space -- Things that feel like home -- "You're not like the other girls -- Sometimes you meet a wild girl -- On seeing the wolf again -- In 150 characters or less -- For my little sister when someone shames her -- When your baby sister asks you if she's pretty -- Hymn for the girls who comes after us -- The invention of love -- When you aren't ready to say I love you -- Love in 150 characters or less -- Soft myth -- To the girl at the bus -- Daisies -- A blessing for those still waiting -- From poet to reader -- On self-worth -- Your name -- Love in a small town -- A word of caution -- 'You've changed' -- The lesson -- The shattering -- Aftermath -- Some loves end softer -- Seasons change -- The signs at the beginning of autumn -- On the first leaves of autumn -- This poem is a legacy of food -- When you come out to your parents and are not met with love -- When you come out to your parents and are met with love -- Daring to dream up a different future -- Your mother -- How to believe in yourself 150 characters or less -- Good fathers -- Absent father -- How come mum was always there through every heartache? -- A brother named war -- Shared history -- On being the older sister -- On being the younger sister -- Reminder -- Reminder II -- Your own skin -- An ode to the aunties -- When you need boundaries -- The cat on autumn days -- The wish -- The signs at the beginning of winter -- On the first frost of winter -- For days of breaking -- Your friend's pain -- 'Others have it worse' -- For the days you feel unheard -- For when you are tired of being called strong -- When they say you shouldn't talk about it -- Salt and sugar -- Winter -- Survival -- The ocean in you -- When you hate yourself for revisiting old wounds -- The cracks -- The happening -- For when you need validation for your anger -- Shout-out -- Reminder III -- On Googling microaggressions -- What Google doesn't tell you -- Your first protest -- The word is girl -- Vote -- When the election results roll in and they aren't what you hoped for -- What we have named impossible -- On the future -- For when you hate your anger -- A manifesto to protect my plus-size friends -- Another story -- Poems from alternate universes -- An ode to body hair -- A song for dark skin -- Instagram -- Mantras for self-love -- Maybe I don't believe in Heaven, but if I did... -- What the body remembers -- Pretty is a lie -- What I weigh -- Our bodies as art galleries -- An affirmation -- The signs at the beginning of spring -- On the first flowers of spring -- Reminder for healing -- The way out -- Healing in not linear -- In times of transformation -- Every day -- For when they cannot love you for who you are -- How to heal from the pain -- Lessons from the wild -- The test -- Reminder on friendship -- Sanctuary -- On those conversations you can't have with anyone else -- Hanging out -- Girlcode -- On the real ones -- I. When you see your friends being cruel to someone -- II. These are the words you should have said -- III. And this is why you didn't -- When ghosting hurts most -- Tell me again -- They lied when they said only romantic break-ups hurt -- Soulmate -- The glow -- Us

adolescent