Not far from there,
I see her running with joy.
I hear her laughing,
I read her writing,
I listen to her teaching,
I am inspired by her talent.
But it was when I moved away,
after I was separated from yesterday,
I remembered when she cried; she was hit,
before her voice rose up.
After, she smiled,
but her life was regarded
as a mistake, which no one
wanted to exist.
When she went out,
eyes stared
and lusted after her.
It is how it is there.
My heart hurts with stopped breath,
when I do not know if we
are the wrong gender,
Or if we are born
in a mistaken place.
We cannot choose
these things ourselves.
But it touches my tears
when it comes in my mind
and in front of my eye.
By Basira
Photo by Lt.j.g. Matthew Stroup
Dear Basira,
I really enjoyed your poem. Instead of telling, you suggest a sort of story through your emotions. I don’t know the whole story in all it’s details, but, at the same time, the story is familiar and I know it well. You have created a picture of how it feels to be a woman in Afghanistan. Great job!
All my best,
Suzanne
Hi dear
thank you so much.
I will definitely work on it.
Dear Basira
It was a very nice poem really enjoy reading this and hope that one day an Afghanistan the girls should be themselves not what others want.
Thanks Dear Arifa,
Hopefully if we all continuously work as on soul for Afghanistan body, we can make women by themselves.
dear basira, i hope some day nobody makes you feel like you are the wrong gender… that afghanistan embraces the strength, love and intelligence of its women
all my support from belgium
Thank you so much. we are working for a better future of Afghanistan. Hopefully one day there will not be any kind of embracing
As your poem reinforces: no person is a mistake and it is criminal to make a person think so. I hope that the woman of your poem can know her beautiful worth. I hope no one ever makes you or any of your sisters feel like they shouldn’t be here, or that they don’t belong. Thank you for sharing your talent and wisdom with us here on this site. Stacy
yes, you are right. unfortunately in Afghanistan as you you are seen so much like a wrong gender, sometimes you, yourself doubt , if you are really not. it is hard to keep standing straight, when people shoot all the time like this idea.
thank you
Let me say that an afternoon speaking with you would be a greater present than being able to see my late grandfather one more time.
Hi dear Taylor
I like to talk to you too. Thank you for thinking so.
What a beautiful and heartbreaking poem. Your words are incredibly moving and I especially love your words “My heart hurts with stopped breath,
when I do not know if we
are the wrong gender,
Or if we are born
in a mistaken place.” Please keep writing. – Jessica
thanks dear Jessica
yes, writing is our way to share, we will use it as much as we can.
I really liked your poem because it was so inspiring. I liked who you showed your emotions through this touching poem.
I really like this poem. The first section has very good imagery and as the poem goes on, you clearly articulate some of the experiences of being a woman in Afganistan in a very beautiful way.
“I remembered when she cried; she was hit,
before her voice rose up.
After, she smiled”
Those lines above alone are particularly very powerful by themselves.
A very beautiful poem, and i hope you keep writing