When you come to me
Bring a pair of eyes
So that I can see the world differently
When you come to me
Bring a bundle of smiles
So that I can feel happiness one more time
When you come to me
Bring a piece of hope
So that I can hold onto life
And a piece of the sun
To light my inside
By Farida
Photo by Staff Sgt. Kaily Brown
Absolutely beautiful writing dear Farida. .I am deeply touched. .be brave sweetheart and endure. .with much much love from the other side of the world. .in Ireland. ..I worked in Afghanistan and I miss you beautiful good people
I can feel sadness and longing in your words – and also hope. A short poem but amazingly powerful.
I KNOW I FEEL YA
Dear Farida, may all of the gifts you name in your poem come to you, one by one, and bring a healing grace to you wherever you are. Your writing is so fine and poignant – it brings a tear and a smile, both at once, to my heart. Thankyou.
It’s amazing how such a short poem, could have SO much meaning to it! I must say that I am truly touched by your writing because it helped me get a sense of what you are truly feeling. I pray that all of those things that you yearn for, touch you and fulfill your need. There is no better way to express your feelings than through writing and, my dear, you have a true gift for this. Keep the hope and stay strong!
Short in words, but very big in emotion. I think the use of anaphora in the beginning of the tercets and quintets made it more impactful.
You are so right.
It’s impressive to see how you describe hope in his most pureness
aspect. Only with sentences, repetitions and simples words. you express yourself, and you don’t need a lot to share a message, an emotion. You truly are talented. Because it’s something to express yourself, it’s something to explain a feeling, but its something else to do it well, its something else to do it beautiful. If you are as beautiful as your poem, you certainly are a wonderful person.
It is a great poem and it is really important for people to keep hope in their mind. Hope is a great thing and it inspires people, give them the force to take a step forward. It can not only benefit one people but also transfer to others. I really like your poem and the picture, I think it is really unique and great to have portrait people in this way. Really appreciate for you to sharing your poem and it is really a great one and the words are so powerful which impressed me.
Dear Farida,
Your poem is truly beautiful. You are able to describe the virtue of hope and demonstrate how it should be reflected in everyone. In times where nations and societies seem to be divided, poems and works of literature like these remind us of what it is to be a kind, decent, caring person that inspires and gives hope to others. Your use of descriptive language and poetic devices exemplify this by giving a very clear picture to the reader of what hope really means. Please continue to write more poems and literary works, as they are very enjoyable to read!
Dear Farida, it such a beautiful poem that you describe the power of hope in everyone’s heart. Although it’s short, it contains substantial amounts of your emotions. Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness. I love your poem so much that your poem definitely gave people the power to step forward. I could also feel the longing and sadness in your poem especially the line it says “Bring a bundle of smiles So that I can feel happiness one more time”. Really appreciating that you are willing to share your poem, it gave me so much power after I read your poem. Hope you could continue writing more and more poem and literature work in the future.
The poem is definitely beautiful! I am very touched after reading it. I like how you demonstrate your hopes. You have a great talent of writing since you are able to express yourself well through only simple words and and creating very impressive sentences! While going through the lines, I can see that you are eager to see the outside world. It is always good to keep hopes, because that is what makes people to pursue better life. I hope that all your hopes can be fulfilled on one day. I hope you can get everything you want to have. Stay strong and be optimistic always!
As an old saying goes, if there is no hope in the world, then there is no future for humans. I do think hope is one of the most significant things in our life. I really like your poem, which describes the hope visually. I also like the ending, which says that you are able to hold the piece of hope onto your life, and the sun can light your inside. From your poem, I can easily imagine a picture of hope. You did convey your imagination to the readers clearly. I hope you can continue to write more poems. Never give up hope!
Dear Farida,
It is a such beautiful and powerful poem that describes the power of hope, which is one of the most important things in this world. I believe that people are not truely alive without hope. The short sentences and simple words contain many emotions, and I also like the picture with the poem. I think the picture shows the main idea of your poem, hope. The happiness on the little girl’s face makes me feel both happy and sad, the smile shows what hope can bring to us. I hope you can continue your wiring and write more good poems.
Abby
Dear Farida,
Your poetry is truly uplifting, yet wonderfully crafted. I love how you use your voice in order to describe your perspective in addition to spreading this virtue of hope to others. You do an amazing job of emotionally connecting with your reader, especially with your use of second-person. Specifically, the repetition of “when you come to me” allows this connection to be established and only grows as the poem progresses. You demonstrate that words do have the ability to touch people emotionally as I was able to connect with you. Despite being short in length, you are able to successfully convey the power behind having hope and the emotion behind your poem. Your poem truly speaks for itself as it gave me great insight into your raw and honest feelings, which conveys the pathos behind your story. Being able to speak your thoughts, through poetry, is incredibly powerful, which is something seen within your poem. By connecting the hope you hold within yourself with persevering through hard times, you convey a powerful message that resonates with all who read your poem. You have a beautiful voice and incredible talent for poetry, but most importantly an amazing mindset towards life.
-Serena
Dear Farida,
The fact that you have to ask for hope, reveals the true nature of the world. While we all spend every day trying to hope for the best, many of us never realize just how much we need it. It is valid that everyone has the right to lose hope just as much as the other. But, sometimes it is worth it to take a moment and observe the disparity between circumstances. I, being privileged enough to have access to the resources I do, hope to do well in school. However, the fact that I am even able to dream of such matters, shows me the reason to keep believing. Your poem has taught me the importance of keeping faith in myself and those around me. I have the opportunity to even make use of such hope while others cannot even think of doing so. This thought aches my heart and I, with my hope, pray that one day anyone can have the mere right to hope what they want to. Thank you for expressing your rights over a feeling that is so basic, yet so vital to life.
Srusti
Dear Farida, your poem says a lot in such little words. It’s such a beautiful piece that describes how powerful hope can be to everyone and anyone in this world. I think this poem describes with great accuracy how many Afghan women need hope and love for years and years of different types of abuse that they have been facing. It’s unfortunate that many of these women don’t seek justice, and how when they do, they are punished for it. I hope that more people continue to read your poem, educate themselves and find that they should also look for hope in whatever situation it is that they are in. Everybody needs something to hope for in this life. In Afghan women’s lives, it’s hope for freedom, equality, peace, and many other things that are missing from their lives. I’m sure all Afghans are hoping for peace and a better world, as many others are also doing. Let’s all hope that in the future, the situation of all these women becomes slightly better if not anywhere near what other better-off women experience in the world, and I hope that you are also doing well in life. Please stay strong and have hope!
Dear Farida,
The fact that you have to ask for hope, reveals the true nature of the world. While we all spend every day trying to hope for the best, many of us never realize just how much we need it. It is valid that everyone has the right to lose hope just as much as the other. But, sometimes it is worth it to take a moment and observe the disparity between circumstances. I, being privileged enough to have access to the resources I do, hope to do well in school. However, the fact that I am even able to dream of such matters, gives me a reason to keep believing. Your poem has taught me the importance of keeping faith in myself and those around me. I have the opportunity to even make use of such hope while others cannot even think of doing so. This thought aches my heart and I, with my hope, pray that one day anyone can have the mere right to hope what they want to. Until that is possible, thank you for expressing your rights over a feeling that is so basic, yet so vital to the lives of everyone and anyone.
Srusti
Hello and good day Farida,
Your poetry is so amazing and meaningful! It is so incredibly touching and powerful. I really like how you describe the hope, “a piece of the sun, to light my inside.” The metaphors and analogies you use to help the reader envision what hope is are really interesting and creative. Your poem is short and simple, but carries a lot of meaning and impact with your exceptional word choice and way you convey the message and emotion of the piece. The poem also wonderfully portrays and represents the power hope as that strong positive force that it is. Hope has the power to bring people up, and help them achieve great things! It’s really wonderful how you’re spreading the message of hope, and how it has the potential to bring a hopeful light to a reader’s life. Keep up the great work, and keep on writing! I love your simplistic but meaningful poetry style! In addition, I hope you will be able to achieve the things that you hope for and are doing well! Never give up hope and stay positive! I wish you the best going forward! 🙂
Sincerely, and all the best,
Izzy
Dear Farida,
Thank you so much for sharing your poem with us all. Your writing beautifully conveys a sense of hopelessness and despair that truly touched me while I was reading it. It is beautiful to see something so short pack such an emotional punch. The fact that millions across the world are unable to have true happiness because of extraneous political and geographical circumstances they have no control over is truly tragic. It is especially tragic that so many no longer have hope to keep them going through the adverse situations they are in. I admire how you try to convey this message of hopeless with the use of common feelings and objects like eyes and smiles in your poem. This enables readers like me in the western world to realize the horrors of Afghanistan and how so many in our world are unfortunately unable to smile and see the world as we are used to. I also admire how you use repetition (“when you come to me”) to make your poem even more powerful; it results in a sense of repeated despair that makes your poem and the situation for Afghanis even more saddening. I hope that the situation in your homeland improves and that all across the world, individuals no longer have to deal with hopelessness and despair due to extraneous political and geographic circumstances. Until then, I wish you the best of luck in dealing with this adverse situation.
Sincerely,
Akaash
Dear Farida,
It is amazing how such a short and sweet poem can have an astounding amount of meaning in it! This is a truly beautiful poem. You are able to describe the virtues of hope and put them in such few words. This poem is truly both beautiful and sad. You have crafted this beautiful in a way that only personal experience could. I am touched. You have put so much emotion in such a short poem. Do not lose hope. InshaAllah things get better for you and war leaves Afghanistan. May all the gifts that you describe in this poem reach you.
Dear Farida,
Thank you for writing this beautiful poem. It not only prevails the emotion and connection you yearn for, but it also illustrates the impact of even the smallest flame of hope, and how it can completely change someone’s view of life. Through our world’s political, social, and geographical troubles, your poem reminds us that there is more good out in the world, and we just need hope to find it. In the first two stanzas of your poem, I admire the way you use the body parts, eyes and smiles, because these human body parts emphasize that only us humans have the ability to have hope. Our humanity is what keeps our world true and good, and once we lose these abilities: eyes to see the good in the world or smiles to feel joy, the one source that anyone can keep is hope. It is harder to keep hope for some people, which is why this poem also signifies the importance of fighting to keep hope. Thank you for this poem, it reminded me to look past all the frustrations and fears clouding my brain and value our ability to feel happiness and hope, because our hope is what keeps our world turning.
Dear Farida,
I typically shy away from poetry, I feel authors hide their message, they make it difficult for the reader to ‘decode’ the purpose of their poem. Your poem isn’t like that and that’s why I like it. I can feel the raw emotion and pure truth behind the story you tell with your poetry. The line “Bring a piece of hope
So that I can hold onto life” strikes me to my core. You address two key truths in that single line. One you need hope to truly live and two when it feels like the world turned its back on you people can restore that hope and happiness you seek. The poem is beautiful because of its irony you use the word ‘when’ instead of the word ‘if’ which implies you already have hope, if not certainty. Your poem brings tears to my eyes because the things you ask for, happiness, hope, should be a given. No one should be deprived of them. I hope you know that writing poetry like this is a talent, you have a gift. I would know because I can’t write poetry for the life of me. You can give other women hope through your writing.
Dear Farida,
In just a few words, you conveyed a message that spoke of the issues you and many others go through. Thank you so much for sharing your story of not only hardships, but also of hope for what the future brings. Your words are extremely powerful and the emotions embedded in the poem can inspire people to retain their hope. I’m sorry you have to face the feeling of not having anything to be hopeful for, which is why I think it’s even more amazing that you wrote such a hopeful poem. I really hope it gets for you and so many other women and girls in Afghanistan.
Dear Farida,
I love your poem because of its idealistic perspective. I believe you are talking to hope when you address “you” in the poem. The words are so simple yet so powerful because you brought up something that is so meaningful to not only you but everyone. I admire you for the fact that many people in life give up on hope in tough situations but you choose to believe in it. I can see the eager in you to have a better life and to become happier. In your poem, you said that you wish hope can bring you a pair of eyes that give you an opportunity to look at the world in a different way. I want to let you know that just like how you chose to have an optimistic view, you can choose what perspective you want to take on the world. Hope will definitely come to someone like you who always has a positive attitude towards life. You reminded me how whatever goals we have, the most important thing is to believe in ourselves. Thank you for inspiring many people like me, who may not believe in ourselves when we are faced with challenges. I hope one day, the hope you wished did go to you, just like how you deserved it.
Dear Farida,
I love your poem because of its idealistic perspective. I believe you are talking to hope when you address “you” in the poem. The words are so simple yet so powerful because you brought up something that is so meaningful to not only you but everyone. I look up to you for the fact that many people in life give up on hope in tough situations but you choose to believe in it. I can see the eager in you to have a better life and to become happier. In your poem, you said that you wish hope can bring you a pair of eyes that give you an opportunity to look at the world in a different way. I want to let you know that just like how you chose to have an optimistic view, you can choose what perspective you want to take on the world. Hope will definitely come to someone like you who always has a positive attitude towards life. You reminded me how whatever goals we have, the most important thing is to believe in ourselves. Thank you for inspiring many people like me, who may not believe in ourselves when we are faced with challenges. I hope one day, the hope you wished did go to you, just like how you deserved it.
Dear Farida,
Thank you for writing this poem. I find this poem to be especially powerful, as it illustrates the importance of hope. I find the sentence, “And a piece of the sun, To light my inside,” to be motivating as it displays how hope is an important tool that brings happiness among us. As I currently read various books about the adversity that Afghani women face in society, I understand the powerfulness of hope and the happiness that entails it. I also find your style of writing to be commendable. Your poem takes on a concise format and allows the reader to understand the meaning with relative ease. Your writing style allows the readers to understand the sadness that you feel of living without hope in the dire situations that you may be engulfed in. Furthermore, your style of writing captivates the reader and makes them motivated to read the poem. I would also like to thank you for your bravery to write this poem. It is not always easy to share your feelings on this topic, but your poem expertly states your opinions and feelings. I encourage you to keep on writing more stories and poems. Finally, I wish the best of luck for you so that your situation gets better and you can find hope.
Dear Farida,
I am truly touched by your poem and commend you for its power. The wants, longing, and calls to escape your situation are defined in every single line that is written. In stanzas 2-3, when you say, “Bring a pair of eyes So that I can see the world differently,” it really speaks to me. Everyone’s experiences and realities are different and if only I could lend you the relief of escaping yours, I would. Though such dark emotions are omitted and implied, you focus on reaching for optimism and positivity. You’ve indeed been stricken down in life but grasp onto those few memories of ‘light’ that have been given to you. With the use of repetition, “When you come to me,” it demonstrates how we are not so far apart or different. These words call out to us, the onlookers and readers, and wrap us into the piece. We as a whole should do more to help others. At the end of the day, we are all human and should acknowledge our brothers and sisters that need help. You have a great talent and are able to conjure up a huge story in simply a few stanzas and words. Please do not give up on living just yet as I know you will shatter the glass box that you feel trapped in. Thank you for sharing your gifts with us.
Farida, your poem is extremely powerful and inspiring. In your poem you talk about how a piece of hope can help someone hold onto life, which inspired me. You taught me the value of hope, and how a person should always see the bright side of life even in a dark situation. The poem you wrote is short but powerful, and it has changed my perspective on the importance of hope. Hope gives people the power to live and the descriptive language you used in this poem is beautiful. Thank you for writing this poem and showing me the power of hope.