1983
Afghanistan: Farah Province Balabluk District: Shewan village
Tank fire overwhelms the Soviet plane.
There are children, children young and old.
They are killed. So many, so many babies gone.
Breast milk is meant to feed and keep the children safe.
There are mothers, mothers young and old.
They cry. So hard, such sound.
The blood. The will of God and the sky.
The mother calls for her baby. She stares, her eyes watching everything.
Her baby remains opaque.
Dark night is everywhere, silent, secret.
Two women and two men and three children, leave Shewan for Iran.
They travel, lost in the dark night, silent, secret.
Forty-five nights.
Afghanistan: Farah Province: Deheshk village
The eyes and minds of a bright future stare across the border.
No one knows his destiny.
The driver uses a white light. Voices. Soviet tanks. Helicopters.
Border Crossing:
Voices, like monsters in the desert. Clanging chains.
Faces red with anger.
Questions, day and night. Questions for the runaways.
Answers—are they lies or truths.
Oh Iran! We are your refugees.
Iran: Mashhad Province: Shamshabad village
The refugee camp is dry. There is little water.
Hungry, thirsty, homeless, poor.
The man hopes to live again.
Red sleeves up, he builds a house of mud and straw for his family.
1985
Shamshabad village
A child born.
Away from war, she is unfamiliar with misery.
Destiny awaits, once again.
By Nasima
AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti
Salam Nasima Jan,
Very nice story is written by you. The family has passed a bad situation during the invasion of Russian army and mercenary regime of Afghanistan.
I hope that you continue to write the story after the child was born.
Wish you success,
I love this very much. Thank you!
Nasima jan,
Thank you for writing this important piece. Through it, we learn history, feel the setting deeply and can still hold hope.
Love, Rachel
Nasima,
This is very powerful. The structure really works. I was haunted by your images and your voice.
I hope you will write more.
Sending you peace and love…
Barbara
Nasima, no-one can know the horrors you have experienced, the sadness, the emptiness and worst of all the hopelessness. Your piece is beautifully written: in a few words you have evoked all that it is to be a refugee. You need to write, and write, and write so that one day the world will listen.
Nasima, Thank you for sharing your words with us. Your writing took me to a place of understanding (as much as I can) what it has been like to be a refugee. Please keep telling your stories, keep writing. The world needs to hear your voice.
Love, Judith
Nasima Jan,
I like it very much, I was feeling what I was reading it is very well writing. Keep writing, I know you have a lot to say, let the world know.
Peace,
Zabih Barakzai