I have a dream; please don't influence it,
It belongs to me.
I have a delicate heart; please don't break it,
It belongs to me.
...
To Fellow Rag Dolls Living With Cerebral Palsy
Silk, linen, velvet, cotton, wool;
made from all sorts; textures, fabrics,
...
As I walked down the street,
old Asian women began to think -
they stared at me: head to feet,
"She's had too much to drink! "
...
Dr Kuli Kohli was born in India with cerebral palsy. She is a retired employee of Wolverhampton Council, where she worked for 32 years. She lives in Wolverhampton with her family, including her husband and three children. Dr Kohli is an accomplished poet, with a pamphlet titled 'Patchwork' and a full poetry collection called 'A Wonder Woman', both published by Offa's Press. She also runs the Punjabi Women's Writing Group and writes for Disability Arts Online. Dr Kohli has performed at various universities across the UK and in Berlin, and even at the British Museum, where she celebrated International Disabled Persons Day in 2019. In 2020, her life story was featured on BBC News online and she appeared on the BBC1 show 'Sunday Morning Live'. Dr Kohli is also the Poet Laureate of Wolverhampton for the years 2022-24, and in 2022, she was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters by the University of Wolverhampton. Besides her poetry, Dr Kohli is involved in various projects nationwide. Recently, she has co-edited an anthology of poems about birds called 'Away with the Birds' for Offa's Press. In 2024, the National Portrait Gallery acquired a portrait of hers created by Anand Chhabra. www.kulikohli.co.uk)
Mine
I have a dream; please don't influence it,
It belongs to me.
I have a delicate heart; please don't break it,
It belongs to me.
I have peace of mind; please don't disturb it,
It belongs to me.
I have to follow a path; please don't obstruct it,
It belongs to me.
I have an amazing life; please let me live it,
It belongs to me.
I have a choice; please don't choose for me,
It belongs to me.
I have freedom; please don't capture me,
It belongs to me.
I have incredible feelings; please don't hurt me,
They belong to me.
I have a lot of love; please don't hate me,
Love is mine to share.
I'm on my material journey; don't follow me
It won't be fair.
So... I have a dream; it's my dream to be free.