Beauty Quote by Warsan Shire
““you must wear it like she wears disappointment on her face you must hide the surprise of tasting other men on your lips your mother is a woman and women like her cannot be contained. you find the black tube inside her beauty case, where she keeps your fathers old prison letters, you desperately want to look like her film star beauty, you hold your hand against your throat your mother was most beautiful when sprawled out on the floor half naked and bleeding. you go to the bathroom to apply the lipstick, somewhere no one can find you your teeth look brittle against the deep red slickness you smile like an infant, your mouth is a wound you look nothing like your mother you look everything like your mother. you call your ex boyfriend, sit on the toilet seat and listen to the phone ring, when he picks up you say his name slow he says i thought i told you to stop calling me you lick your lips, you taste like years of being alone.””
About This Quote
Source Poem: “Mother” (unpublished), 2020
The poem explores a fraught mother‑daughter bond, intertwining desire, pain, and identity, using vivid, unsettling imagery to convey longing and self‑destruction.
In simple terms: Complex love and pain shape identity.
Key Takeaway
Seek healthy self‑expression and boundaries.
Themes
family
identity
desire
Mood
melancholic
intense
Type
poetic
confessional
When to use this quote
- therapy
- creative writing
- support groups
Key Concepts
psychology
trauma
gender dynamics
Questions to Reflect On
- How does maternal influence affect your self‑image?
- What healthier ways can you express longing?
A Different Perspective
Graphic language may trigger distress.
