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Sarah Aluko is a Nigerian-British Author and Poet. Her first published piece was a poem which she wrote at the age of 15. Sarah went onto obtain a degree in Law and pursued a career in finance, though she found poetry as a means of expression. She released her debut Anthology, Firstborn, in 2017 a publication of poems giving a raw account of her journey through womanhood. Sarah Aluko’s commission work includes technology giant Microsoft, global movement ‘Nasty Women’ and England’s biggest performance poetry and spoken word organisation, ‘Apples and Snakes’.
To my younger self,
I hope you focus on being better. Not perfect.
Growing. Blooming.
More present. More accountable. More intentional
I hope you don’t become so consumed with the destination (the place you think you should be)
That you forget to be grateful for the journey (the place where you are)
I hope you remember than even if the years aren’t kind to you, you still can be
With time you will realise that healing isn’t always soft
Friends can become strangers
I love you does not always mean I will stay
But time will take care of the ache
Scars eventually fade
You will get better at letting go
And even if today you are a mess remember there is always tomorrow.