ONE of Bradford's most beloved poets has shared a special International Women's Day piece which hopes to inspire women across the district to start 'roaring like lions'.

Sharena Lee Satti, who was born in Shipley, began writing as a teenager. 

She now hosts a number of spoken word events in and around the district, bringing people of all ages and backgrounds together.

Her first publication with The Verve poetry press will be released this Autumn.

To mark International Women's Day, Sharena has recorded a heartfelt reading of Deeds Not Words and taken part in the T&A's International Women's Day Q&A series.

A transcript of the poem can be found at the end of this article.

Q: What makes women from Bradford special?

A: I think all women hold the same value, and are all special in their own ways but there's something about Bradford women. Bradford grows powerful women, women here are strong and expressive and we are empathetic too. We are passionate about our home, Bradford, and our society.

The Bradford ladies I know, my sisters my friends, people I work with, we nurture and support each other, It's how women should be empowering each other.

Q: What does International Women’s Day mean to you?

A: It's a day that will always be a reminder of the incredible changes that has occured in the past and in my own life too. It's a day of hope and speaking out about the struggles women face and the difficulties we have over come. It's highlighting the discrimination that still exists. It's about women sharing their stories of their truth and inspiring others to reach women that may not have a voice, women coming together and supporting each other. It's a celebration of life and how we still need to keep raising our voices for change.

Q: Advice to your younger self?

A: To be kinder to yourself and to know no one is perfect. We will make mistakes and we will get things wrong from time time and that's perfectly fine. We will learn and grow and love ourselves from these times. Laugh more, love yourself more and allow that lioness roar to be heard.

Bradford grows powerful women, women here are strong and expressive and we are empathetic too."

- Poet Sharena Lee Satti

Bradford Telegraph and Argus:

DEEDS NOT WORDS by Sharena Lee Satti

Seen as the weaker sex, too many emotions, too many hormones, too many feelings 
Women seen as either too fragile or over appealing 
We are natures medicine the all healing 
The gentle dew drops that Mother Nature scatters amongst her soil 
We spread our seeds, and sprinkle life into those dandelions that you call weeds 
Creating life, creating peace, we live and breathe 
On this Earth, and we are the ones whose bodies 
Breathe life into ones soul when they give birth 
When her body nurtures and protects the life inside 
No one ever sees, the pain she endured or the tears she cried 
When the morning sickness erupted every, morning noon and night 
Her body adapted and she gave up her appetite 
She gave in to the cravings that helped this little life grow 
This deep embedded embryo that will eventually grow 
We was given the power to birth life and we always seem to sacrifice 
Our own life to see others thrive and blossom in their own 
Women over the generations have shown 
Their strength and determination fighting for our rights 
With  Emmeline Pankhurst always the first to fight, for women’s rights 

We have to keep voicing our voice, deeds not words

Roaring like lions instead of tweeting like birds 
Women are more than just female, they are deep rooted to the core 
To earth to the ground the whistling in the breeze that creates its own sound 
We are fire, the very flames that burn, we ignite, and we spark that light 
We are water as pure as its falls, we pool oceans and waves 
Planting memories of life and forgetting how quick the days 
Fall into each other, we are the children of all mothers 
Of all women and men, it’s us women that breathe life into spring all over again 
Its women that are child bearing, the all daring, the all loving the all caring 
Its women that carry on selflessly, that nurture our very lands 
With arms and open hands and strive for strange 
For equality, for respect, to fight child abuse and neglect, and we do this for voices of women lost in silence 
Women who are trapped in domestic violence 
We do this to stop rape, to stop war to stop racial discrimination and so much more 
We do this for the women and girls now and for the women who came before 
We will never ignore the message and we will continue to proceed 
Deeds instead of words 

03/03/2020 © Sharena Lee Satti