During 35 years of interwar
Half of my countrymen killed
Some of them lost family members
Some of them injured
Every day filled with stress
Some of us leave the country
Sometimes exploited in evil ways
Some of us worried for our country
We are migrant birds
One to the east another to the west
One is alone with pain far away
Another is crying to live freely
We are alone in a broad world
We are homeless birds
Like those birds who skip from winter
We are going to find spring
Peace and safety is our dream
Some of us die with this dream
We hate this sad life
Full of pain and suffering
I am also an immigrant bird
Lonely and sad
I am so far from home
I dream of peace in my mind
We are homeless birds
Lonely, Lonely
With suffering and pain
With a bitter life
By Zahra W.
This is a heartbreaking, beautifully written poem that paints such a clear picture of what it is like to give up one’s home. So very sad. I hope that one day there will be peace and all Afghans who wish to will be able to return.
I enjoyed reading this beautiful poem.
good luck Zahra Jan.
Dear Zahra,
This poem is really beautiful and illustrative. Your poem uses vivid imagery to describe life during and after the war in Afghan. With literary devices like symbolism and personification to add perspective to the readers. In the phrase “we are migrant birds,” the author demonstrates the complexity of the situation. They are free to leave the country but still want to stay behind for family. She continues to describe the situation by saying “homeless birds” in the next stanza. This shows that many of the people did not recognize their country after the war. In a way this made them feel homeless. In the next stanza, the author uses “immigrant bird” to detail how much they miss their old country. The repetitive use of bird shows how many of the people felt during the war especially with language such as “suffering and pain.” The author writes this poem from the perspective of teenage girls and other children caught in the mess of the war. This literature is very well-written discussing the feelings of many citizens through metaphors and personification in order to relate the humans to different kinds of birds. It is very nice of you to express your feelings through this poem.