The sky and earth are mourning
Because Afghans start their mornings
With death warnings
By suicide bombers from Pakistan and beyond
Some nations have airplanes
Birds and other skyward creatures
But Afghans live with blood flying
Through clouds and countryside
Blood on the walls
Blood in halls
Blood on the road
Blood on the boats
All over the place blood
Afghan blood overflowing like a flood
Our people are sad
Mad too that the Taliban continue to be bad
Innocent civilians see bodies burning
Watch as their brothers and sisters keep on dying
Blood is everywhere
Like a living nightmare
And whose blood
Fills the streets
Shopkeepers, students
Young women and children
The decades fly by while
Afghans have lost millions
Whose blood?
The blood of suicide bombers
Mixing with teachers, parents, doctors
Though they will never be friends
Blood of men, women, and workers of all ages
The killing goes on through history’s stages
While Afghans are grieving
The attacks of the Taliban increasing
Our country mourns
For the sad orphans whose tears roar
Mountains and rivers are crying
For the youth that are dying
Even as some Afghans want change and try
The slaughter of young men and women again intensifies
And years of war, violence and torture
Force many Afghans into departure
Afghans fleeing for other countries
It has been like this for almost half a century
The nation of Afghans
A target of ISIS and the Taliban
Afghans are victims of an ominous plan
The bombers training in Pakistan
Our country must resist
Stop the Taliban
Their lies, brainwashing, and gist
Let’s work for
Peace and prosperity
Let’s make the blood cease flowing
Let our mornings once again start shining
By Alaha
Photo by Julia Manzerova
Such a powerful poem. And sad too — that the bombings continue. Thank you Alaha for writing these words!
This is beautiful and full of the pain Afghans go through everyday.
I am moved by this poem!
What a strong message!
You wrote about the truths. 🙁
If you uknow Afghanistan and Afghans by the reports of CNN, BBC and Aljazeera, wake up please. Open your eyes and read this please. This is the reality of Afghanistan and its people
yeah
Hi Alaha,
You wrote a very touching poem that triggered many emotions of empathy and sympathy for your country and people. It is very saddening that a small group of individuals could cause so much destruction. I love your choice of words and feel that you deliver your message wonderfully. Your opening line was very powerful and set the tone for all following lines. I like how your poem flowed as you used a mixture of lines where some rhymed and others didn’t. It was a pleasant surprise as I read line by line. I hope that you continue to write and share your story with the world.
Thank You,
Freddy
Hi Alaha:
Your poem is deeply moving and powerfully captures the pain and suffering of everyday people living under the siege of constant warfare. May peace and understanding come to you and your country
Hi Alaha-
Wow, such a powerful poem and incredibly moving. Your last line,
“Let’s work for
Peace and prosperity
Let’s make the blood cease flowing
Let our mornings once again start shining”
brought tears to my eyes. If only this world was a place free of pain and suffering and everyone could get along. Your words are powerful and profound and the imagery used brings the reader into a place of heartbreak and sadness.
This poem, it carries a lot of power. Pain. Suffering. Sadness. All of it can be felt here. A real nightmare that innocents live through this kind of constant destruction.
Thank you for sharing these words and I hope that this suffering ends and peace can flourish.
You’ve offered a window into Afghan life. 😰.
Hoping you are safe today.
Thank you for taking your time to create this. This is a beautiful and moving poem that makes me have a lot of sympathy for your country and people. It is terrible to see and hear about people dying all the time in Afghan, especially the young and growing kids that have the potential for a successful future. I feel like your poem speaks for all of the people suffering and having a hard time getting by in Afghan, and is a calling for less killing and less bloodshed. I hope things can change and get better soon! Thank you
I won’t lie, this poem is one of the most beautiful i’ve ever read. I am not the kind of person that think poesy is powerful. You made me changing my mind. Your words are more than beautiful, they are the pulse of your heart, and i felt the beat when i read
Such a powerful, touching poem. Through this poem, I could see children are quivering on the in the corner, hoping not get killed by Taliban. I could hear people’s scream of seeing suicide bombers. I could even feel the desperation of people in Afghan, that they have the chance to get killed by Taliban every second.
I am glad that at the last of the poem, you did not write about revenge. It is hard to give up hate, but you did. You wrote the last couple lines with love, and I think they are the most powerful ones in the whole poem.
I would like to thank you for being able to share such an emotionally impactful poem and experience. I am filled with sympathy and empathy for the horrors that you have to wake up to every morning. Your poem is able to inspire many people (myself included) to start to be able to understand the horrific things that go on in the world. Your message throughout your poem is able to paint the truths that occur within countries today that should be able to understand the lives of others. I am truly moved by your thoughts on these terrifying years.
This is a really touching poem. The blood you describe reminds me of the stories my grandma and grandpa shared to me. The bloody sky in China when it was the war age of China. But it is sad to know we still have scary wars going on around us. The blood of different people creates despair for the young generation. What will they feel about this world, full of war and full of violence? When I am at a peace country and enjoin my life with a lot of green and blue colors around me, there still have a lot of people living in bloody red. Hope our world would be better in the future, we want peace, not the blood of innocent people.
The poem is very touching and beautiful, the words you use are very simple, but I can see a lot through it. I feel sympathy for your country and people and what are you going through. This special poem directly tells me how the terrible things are happening in Afghan, which is the experience I never have. Your words and the powerful tone bring the sense of terrible war to me, and the courage to fight and protect the land. I see how people are suffering during the war. But the last three lines shows a lot of peace and love, which is very touching. Thank you for writing this poem and bring me into this kind of experience that I never had before.
This is one of the most powerful poems I have ever read. It really opened my eyes as to how much pain and suffering Afghans have to go through. I could imagine everything vividly in my head as I read this poem, blood, war, suicide bombers, etc, it was very descriptive. It makes me really feel bad for the people who cry because of the war or lost loved ones. Finally, I really like the fact that instead of seeking revenge on the Taliban, you decide to go with peace and prosperity instead of going for even more bloodshed.
The poem is full of power, and it really touched me. The poem reflects the situation in your country and people’s life, I recognized that those people in Afghanistan have a tough life, the war and the starvation were hurting people in Afghanistan. But I believe that must be the past, the future for Afghanistan and people are bright. Just like the last three lines in the poem, Love and peace will come soon. Which is most touched me, the hope and dream are all strong. These power are stronger than war and killing. Everything will be alright. The future is coming.
So what I think this poem is trying to say is that their days are like living a nightmare and what it makes me feel is bad for all the people who had to die for others to live. It must have been hard for them to see all that blood everywhere they looked. But then towards the end of the poem, it says “Let’s make the blood cease flowing, Let our mornings once again start shining” and what I think it means is that they want to change what is happening in Afghanistan. And that they don’t want to see the blood of innocent people on the ground.
this is a gucccccccc poem
That is such a sad and beautiful poem. Thank you for inspiring
me and giving me insight into what challenges Afghan’s go through. I hope you are doing okay now.
Thank you Alaha for writing this beautiful poem that allows us to view these traumatic incidents from your eyes. I am sorry that you are experiencing the threat of dangerous terrorist attacks every day. I am really impressed at how you are able to stay strong and maintain your ground even though it may seem as if all hope is lost. Although lives are lost, you must never lose hope and always have faith in your beliefs. This is a very accurate, tragic account of the ongoing disaster. However, the ending about starting the mornings shining instead of mourning is an amazing attitude to maintain during the Taliban’s reign. I cannot even imagine the pains that innocent Afghani citizens must go through every single day because of the heartless actions of the Taliban. I love your choice of words that allows me to empathize for you and the rest of the innocent civilians in your country. Although it may seem disheartening that a small group of people can cause so much trauma in your country, you are doing a lot for your country by spreading the reality through your story. My thoughts and prayers are with you and the rest of the Afghani citizens.
Dear Alaha,
This is such a powerful and touching poem as it reflects the situation in your country and the lives of many people. This gave me insight into the many challenges Afghans face. Thank you for writing this beautiful poem that expresses many emotions for your people. I admire your word choice and how moving this poem is. Your poem shows the pain and suffering of your people and speaks for less killing. From reading this emotional poem, I was able to hear and feel what it’s like for the people and how hard it is for them to be in constant fear. The last few lines of this poem especially touched me as it shows that hope and dream for change is still there.“Let’s make the blood cease flowing Let our mornings once again start shining” shows how they want change and hope for a place free of pain. As I was reading this, the imagery and powerful language used brings me to see the reality. I am truly moved by this poem that delivers such a strong message. This opens our minds to the reality that many people face. I hope that things get better soon, stay strong!
Dear Alaha,
Your profound poetry opened a window into the condition of Afghanistan. I was moved and saddened by your poetry, as it brought light to the violence and injustices that the Taliban is committing in Afghanistan. Your jarring imagery allows the reader to depict the death and destruction that is occurring in Afghanistan. For example, you provide vivid details about immense amount of blood that is shed because of the conflict, which is seen as commonplace in the country. Additionally, your poetry encompasses various aspects of the war, including the suicide bombers, the victims, and the orphans and widows. However, what touches me the most is how your poetry provides hope for the future. Your poem portrays how the younger generation is fighting for a change, but the attacks are only increasing. Despite this, your writing still provides optimism for the future of Afghanistan. Your poetry mentions how the country needs to resist the violent opposition, and prevent the Taliban’s violent grasp on the nation. To remedy the war-stricken state of the country, instead of suggesting more violence, you encourage peace and prosperity to end the perpetual conflict that Afghanistan has endured. And to finish it off, you deliver an impactful line (let our mornings once again start shining) that contrasts the description of disaster from the first line of the poem, creating a form of symmetry represents the hope for progression and change in the country. I am inspired by your work and applaud you for sharing your experience on behalf of your country, and am praying for peace to come to Afghanistan.
Dear Alaha,
Thank you for writing this poem and sharing it with the world. I like how your poem’s message is clear and direct. It is very easy to understand the message you want to convey. Your poetry has touched my heart and it makes me even more terrified for you and your people. I was so deeply sorry that you have to go through these terrible experiences and witness such awful things. It makes me so sad to see innocents become targets of murder, especially the children and infants, who have probably known nothing but violence and oppression. I like how you connected the end of your poem to the beginning with the reference to mornings. You do a fantastic job of describing to horrifying things going on in your world in a few words. I can only imagine what you must be going through, but imagination can never as strong or deep as experience, and I pray that you and your people can stay safe and have a brighter future. I want you to know that this poem brings awareness of these terrible things going on to many (including me) alongside determination to help your country. I am only a 10th grader in high school, but I hope that one day soon I can help you and your people.
Best Regards,
Sydney Lu
Dear Alaha,
This is such a powerful, strong, and touching poem! The level of strength you showed, your determination to stop the violence attacks to Afghanistan makes it a very emotional poem. At first you described the mourning of Afganistan as the sky and earth also mourn for them which makes a relatively strong beginning making the readers immediately understand the situation in Afghanistan. I read your first couple of stanzas and imagine a scene as if a thick layer of cloud covers the sky of Afghanistan leaving the entire country into darkness and desperation. I was terrified by the scene you describe later on: “ blood on the walls, blood in halls, blood on the road, blood on the boats.” which reflects the terrifying scenes in the daily lives of an Afghanistan. The way you describe innocent Afghanistan painfully experienced the loss of their loved ones, the destruction of their homes, deaths of people in their neighborhoods, violence actions by ISIS and the Taliban, all these lines touch on reader’s heart, wish to give you a hug and help you with whatever we can. The determination you showed: “ Let’s work for, Peace and prosperity, Let’s make the blood cease flowing, Let our mornings once again start shining.” truly delivers your message of stopping the violence in your home country. The powerful imagery you demonstrated makes every reader want to support you! Thank you to be brave and share your story with the rest of us!
Dear Alaha,
Your poetry truly touched my heart! I would like the applaud both your strength and confidence to speak about this subject and in a way relive all your past horrors through your poetry. The way you used the repetition of the word blood was powerful and extremely meaningful. I also liked how you talked about Afganistan compared to the rest of the world. I feel like people like you are crucial for spreading awareness about the tragedy that is happening in Afganistan. One day I hope that your poetry is remembered as a thing that united the world in the fight against the Taliban. One thing about your poem that stood out was the imagery of the blood-stained sky and how you compared birds to airplanes to blood. Another thing that stood out to me was your mention of the Taliban and ISIS. I’m extremely sorry these men feel like they have the right to spread violence in the way that they do. One thing I liked about your poetry was an extremely clear message. It shows a distinct motive. As a 10th grader reading “A Thousand Splendid Suns” by Khaled Hosseini I was extremely moved by your message. Thank you for sharing your experience with us!
Dear Alaha,
Thank you for sharing your poem. You’ve offered a window into Afghan life. As a student, literary works like these help me understand the cultures and situations around the world a little better. The beauty in the poem is not due to the flowery words or rhythm schemes like in other poems have, instead, the poem demonstrates its splendid qualities through the content itself. Just from reading the words literally, you can feel the vivid imagery playing out what was conveyed through the poem. The violent life that you must bear was clearly portrayed through the words you constructed in this poem. From the poem what I took away was that many Afghans wish that to end this time of struggle through peace with words. What I also happened to learn is that it is very saddening that a small group of individuals could cause so much destruction. I love your choice of words and feel that you deliver your message wonderfully. Your poem is deeply moving and powerfully captures the pain and suffering of everyday people living under the siege of constant warfare. May peace and understanding come to you and your country.
Best Wishes,
Michael Lu
This poem powerfully captures the lives and suffrage of your people under the victim lifestyle of continuous pain and warfare. The onwards list of the people who have been killed in the effect of these horrid attacks brings sadness to my heart and people all over the world. Your final lines begging for the flow of blood to cease, and light to shine once more truly depicts your people’s craving for a normal and non-violent lifestyle. These experiences endured by your people aren’t understood by the common mind, but this poem assists in our blooming sympathy for your people. I hope that one day there comes a stop to these horrible losses and that there will be peace throughout Afghanistan. I wish you well.
This poem powerfully captures the lives and suffrage of your people under the victim lifestyle of continuous pain and warfare. The onwards list of the people who have been killed in the effect of these horrid attacks brings sadness to my heart and people all over the world. Your final lines begging for the flow of blood to cease, and light to shine once more truly depicts your people’s craving for a normal and non-violent lifestyle. These experiences endured by your people aren’t understood by the common mind, but this poem assists in our blooming sympathy for your people. I hope that one day there comes a stop to these horrible losses and that there will be peace throughout Afghanistan. I wish you well.
Arav Desai
Dear Alaha,
This poem is very touching and strong. You wrote about the struggles of living a life in Afghanistan which I did the see the full extent of. The poem is very real and taught me that it is not only people in places like Afghanistan who are suffering, but there are also people in other places going through the same thing. I learned that many people want to end the period of struggling and they want peace. I think your words effectively showed how violent a day could become. It makes me sad that such innocent people could have their life taken away for being in school, or walking in the street. You also show how much destruction a small group of individuals could do. I really appreciate how you took a step to put this poem out in the world. It must have taken a lot of strength to do something like this and replay the struggles of what is happening in Afghanistan. Thank you for showing the world how much struggle the country is going through. Before I read this poem, I did not exactly realize the extent of the Taliban and the effect on the people of the country. After reading this, I see exactly what everyone went through.
Thank you for sharing this beautiful poem with us that allows us to understand and visualize the traumatic events happening in Afghanistan. This poem shares the emotions of not only you, but your people which is important for many to see and understand. This poem shows the pain your people have gone through, and how they only want peace. It is hard to imagine a country where everyone is so desperately trying to flee and leave it. Your poem has helped open my eyes and many others to see the bloodshed that a small group of people can cause. You are able to do a lot for your country by spreading the word to the rest of the world and to all those that read this.
Your poem covers multiple topics of the bloodshed and war that rages in Afghanistan. You cover the hardships and terrors that the suicide bombers bring upon your country. It must be difficult to write about such terrifying events, but by doing so you allow many to see the hardships that are faced daily. The thought of innocent blood being spilled daily must be terrifying, and it is hard to believe how brutal the world can be. We can only hope that the future will stop the spilling of innocent blood.
Dear Alaha,
There is a saying that a picture is worth 1000 words. Your poem is worth a million. In just a few short lines, you were able to encapsulate decades of hatred and violence that have caused indescribable amounts of trauma and suffering to thousands of Afghan citizens. As a student in California, I wish to someday be able to write with as much passion and strength as you do. I also love that you highlight the idea that hatred sees no color or gender. Every single Afghan resident and citizen suffers from the violence and anger spread by the Taliban and other terrorist groups. It deeply saddens me to see how a beautiful country with such beautiful people is constantly suffering from a lack of peace and understanding. I truly hope that one day we can come together not only as women but as a globe, to help stop the Taliban and other groups from weaponizing the beautiful religion that is Islam. As a Sikh myself, I stand with you and all of the people in Afghanistan for the basic human rights of peace and equality. Not only that, but your poem has inspired me to use my privilege to help. I have already shown my family your poem and am currently looking for charity websites to donate to. Thank you, Alaha, for writing about an issue that can not be solved alone. Your voice will forever be heard.
Thank you for writing such a vivid poem. I think it really helps the readers to understand how severe and widespread violence is in Afghanistan and thus helps raise awareness to this important issue. I’m sorry that you and your people have had these horrible experiences, and I commend you for being willing to describe your experiences, feelings, and thoughts in a poem and share it with the world. I am grateful that you chose to describe the situation as it really is in your poem. I believe that it is most likely very difficult to write about this topic, so I applaud your bravery and honesty. I think that the imagery that your poem created, in addition to the personification of the mourning land, greatly adds to the impact of your poem and is able to make a lasting impression in the readers’ mind. Furthermore, your call to action at the end of the poem is also very inspiring, and I completely agree that we should put more effort into ending this violence which has gone on for way too long. Thank you again for your powerful words, and I wish the best for you and everyone affected by the violence.
Thank you so much for sharing your insight with us. In our English class, we have begun to read a “Thousand Splendid Suns” by Khaled Hosseini, using these stories and poems as an interlude to the premises and themes of the novel. This poem eloquently displays a melancholy and pernicious prologue that will torment my every emotion. Although I may not be able to directly help and assist your causes, I can contribute to your cause through continuing to read and make aware of the gracious fortunes they have. When you find yourself struggling, be reminded of the founding promise of yourself: that all things are possible for all people. Another thing that stood out to me was your mention of the Taliban and ISIS. I’m extremely sorry these men feel like they have the right to spread violence in the way that they do. One thing I liked about your poetry was an extremely clear message. It shows a distinct motive. Overall, this poem powerfully captures the lives and suffrage of your people under the victim lifestyle of continuous pain and warfare. The onwards list of the people who have been killed in the effect of these horrid attacks brings sadness to my heart and people all over the world.
Thank you for creating such a moving and touching poem. It conveys a simple, yet incredibly powerful message that reflects on the lives of Afghans and the suffering your people face. It truly hurts my heart to hear of all the violence and bloodshed caused by such an evil group. As an American high school student, your poem has helped open my eyes as well as the eyes of many others to the horrors that go on everyday for your people. I thought your last line of the poem was especially powerful, the wish of your people to someday look upon their country with peace, free from bloodshed, and free from an endless nightmare.
Dear Alaha,
I am NB and I’m a 10 grader. I really love your poem and thank you for writing this poem. I can get what you are trying to bring out. You have mentioned the Taliban and ISIS. I’m extremely sorry to hear that. Our world is so tough and tired, they spread out the violence and I extremely hate that. Please be brave and strong. I know I cannot help you directly but please, every single time you feel down, just remind “You are great and there was nothing impossible.”. I love you and I hope you will be better.
Best,
nb
Dear Alaha,
This a beautiful poem describing the lives of the people in Afghanistan. This shows the hope of the people of Afghanistan. The repetition of blood made it so I would think of what was happening. The words made me think about everything in detail. I tried imagining the streets in blood and people dying. Just thinking about it made me heartbroken. It has probably made others break. Every single person here sends their prayers and hopes that everything will get better. I hope that no family will have to go through seeing their family’s bloody bodies.
I just gotta say this is such a moving poem, Alaha. You really captured the emotions of Afghans and how hard it is to watch people die in front of you every day because of the situation there. This is a great piece, and the centerpiece of blood as a gruesome yet binding glue for the whole situation shows how much sorrow is caused by conflict. I really hope this poem is shared around the world to help spread consciousness for the current situation there as even after 4 years I still feel it’s relevant.
Hi Alaha, the amount of pain and sorrow that was shown in this poem greatly depicted the traumatic scenarios in Afghanistan. The amount of description you have added into the poem gave it a chilling vibe, yet also informed us about the amount of killings that have happened. For example, the amount of times you have added the description of many killings that there was blood everywhere on the streets. The near ending gave me great chills, as you explained that Afghanistan was, and still is a target from people as there were still many ISIS attacks. I took this into account, and it’s a fact that Afghan people are greatly wounded due to others, however there are still other countries that are attacked due to ISIS such as Egypt having 224 people dead on a plane due to a terrorist attack. Nevertheless, this doesn’t change the fact that there is a lot of bloodshed in Afghanistan and that they have gone through a lot of harsh events.
From waking up, opening your eyes and staring at the ceiling after a restless night of sleep to the verge of falling back into the darkness filled with nightmares, there is fear. Imagine experiencing this everyday. Innocent people suffering physically and emotionally not whilst not knowing why. How does a human take in just one day of not perceiving a single sight without blood? This fills me with deep sorrow knowing that people on the ground being affected by this had no voice, through years of war, violence and torture. Everyone had beliefs, whether it is for the good or not. For the Taliban it was to represeted nobody else but themselves. As bright mornings grow darker, shadows do not cease to expand. Blood continues to be split.
Hi Alaha, this is such a powerful and heart-breaking poem and I really appreciate it for letting other countries’ people know what is going on in Afghanistan. I have seen some people who did not know much about the war and thought that it was too far from them. However, if they ever take a look at your poem, they would realize the cruelty of the war. I have heard a saying that we shouldn’t consider the loss of hundreds of thousands of people as a tragedy of hundreds of thousands of people, but a tragedy that happened over hundreds of thousands of times. Finally, I hope that you and your family members are staying in a safe place now.
Dear Alaha-
This poem is really beautiful. The wording and phrasing of the lines are not complicated but because of that it’s incredibly impactful. I think many people know of the pain and the suffering the Afghan people have faced but they don’t truly comprehend the incomprehensible amount of tragedy and death that has happened because they don’t have a real connection to it. The ending where it’s mentioned that Afghanistan continues to be a target for Taliban and ISIS is what gave me chills because it means that this isn’t over for Afghanistan, and that saddens me. It’s difficult for me to even imagine waking up in the world you’ve so eloquently described in your poem, which is why I have to thank you. It’s important for people, myself included, to read poems and stories like this. It’s one thing to hear about the tragedies facing Afghanistan on CNN, but it’s another thing to read about it from the perspective of someone who has faced and seen it firsthand. Thank you for your bravery and I hope you and your loved ones stay safe.
Alaha,
Your poem was extremely moving, as it shed more light on the situation in Afghanistan. Stanzas 2 and 3 especially moved me: “Some nations have airplanes / Birds and other skyward creatures / But Afghans live with blood flying / Through clouds and countryside” (5-8). The sheer contrast between Afghanistan and anywhere else is blood-curdling and shows how terrible the situation with the Taliban actually was. Afghans have to live every day in fear that something will happen, while others stay happy elsewhere. It’s the utter disbelief that people like the Taliban could be this heartless for me, and I could see that lack of belief reflecting off of this poem as well. It also really touches me that despite all the hardship these innocent people go through, they still seek peace and prosperity and haven’t given up. Thank you for giving me and many other much more insight on what’s going on in Afghanistan.
Asalaam Alaha,
Your poem speaks volumes. I am appalled by all of the bloodshed that has covered the land of Afghanistan. I will not say I understand your situation because I have not lived through it, but just know that I hear you. The vivid description you used throughout your poem allowed me to paint a detailed image in my head, which made me connect with the poem on an even deeper level. The scary reality is that this violence has plagued the peace of Afghanistan for many years now. Your poem is able to spread awareness of this terrible event, while encouraging people to provide aid. You are a true inspiration because you not only recognize the problem, but you also implement change. My dream is that one day we will be able to put an end to the hate and a beginning to healing.
–Alaha: Wow, wow. What can I say? A powerful, moving, terribly sad poem. It is interesting to read an account from within Afghanistan in the form of poetry. We are studying the different forms of literature and the different ways they can be used for different purposes, and to compare your work and some of the stories provides a fascinating, powerful case in point. I think that the use of the format helps to strongly heighten the raw emotion, the great pain, that is your focus. If only more people could get stories like this, perhaps there might be some real change. As it is, I send all the sympathies I can to you, someone in a situation I will almost certainly never comprehend, and I pray that things, somehow, can get better.
Dear Alaha,
Thank you so much for shedding light upon the violent nature of Afghanistan’s history and how Afghans suffer every day. Your beautiful poem showed me how much I have taken my comfortable life for granted, how much people have to endure every day, just to survive and ensure that their loved ones survive. The imagery that is encapsulated by your poem has shown me that there is a world outside of my little bubble in the Bay Area and that people face such atrocities while I complain about trivial matters. This poem has really opened my eyes to the struggles others around the world have to face, the violence and bloodshed they have endured for decades, unsure of when the reign of terror will conclude. I hope that all the people of Afghanistan understand that there is support for them all around the world, that they are not alone in their battle for a peaceful life, and that they can have a country of peace, a country rid of bloodshed and violence, for good.