Womanhood
(Dedicated to legendary poet Sufia Kamal in observance of her 22nd Death Anniversary)
From a piece of bone to a mighty warrior,
The sharp swords held against us get scarier.
Once we threaten the pedestal patriarchy stands upon
Then, you say, a million demons are born!
Any jeopardy you face,
You deem us a menace!
We exist only to bring others to existence, you say.
I’m glad we finally realized, that was not okay.
When countless ‘weaklings’ stand tall,
Their roots intertwine and they will not fall.
A forest spreads, its beauty shines,
Not just warm, nurturing but fearless minds.
Stars swirl, a galaxy forms,
Light breaks in, breaking norms.
Thanks to those that paved the way,
So many lungs can breathe today.
Always climbing, always growing,
All around, countless seeds, they’re sowing.
So very long the path seems to be,
But I know one day we’ll get there, you’ll see.
Once we finally knew what was wrong,
Through and through, women grew strong.
A Tribute to George Floyd
They took me.
They took me, and they pinned me down
Down to the ground; down to my death.
I wasn’t hurting anyone
Why hurt me?
I tried to tell him he was killing me.
“I can’t breathe”, I said
It was my color that made him hate me.
It was my color that made me ‘unsafe’
My insides started to dry up, I needed air.
I saw people
I tried to tell them,
I tried to tell them with whatever I had left.
“I can’t breathe”, I said.
In that moment I realized he wouldn’t let me live.
But I kept trying, I kept pleading.
I didn’t want to go.
I had plans, you see.
I had plans for a life.
I wanted to say so much more, do so much more.
“Don’t kill me”, I pleaded.
But then
All was dark.
I came for a better life,
But instead, I lost it.
A loose thread
They care, they care,
Only when it’s there.
Only when they need it,
Only when it’s needed.
Once it stops working,
The monsters that were lurking.
Can come to the surface,
And throw it in the furnace.
Seven large, veiled tyrants,
They’ve become vagrants.
All once thought to be ugly,
Now they hang loosely.
The clock stops turning,
Churning and whirring,
And there is a loose piece of thread,
That we must now tread.
Lost in the wind
I looked up at the sky and asked,
Why’d they have to go?
The sky looked down at me and said,
To make room for more.
The grass tickled me,
But I didn’t laugh.
The river went on,
And I made it grow.
One day my feet won’t touch the ground,
Will someone fill the river for me?
One day I’ll be above the clouds,
Will I finally be free?
If only the moon would shine forever
Bright, in front of my eyes,
If only the fireworks went on,
Shining, glowing, without a fight,
Why does the path not go on?
Why’d they have to stop?
Walking, going on right in front of me.
Do they miss this?
The green grass, the cold night,
And the moon’s calm light,
Above the stars shining bright?
Contemplating Life
Life is the sound of your mother’s footsteps,
That sweet warm hug.
Life is your father’s proud smile,
Shining brighter than the sun.
Life is those warm, quiet days of peace,
In the garden,
Your grandmother planting trees,
Life is your dog’s delighted face.
When you come home,
Your face licked like ice-cream,
On hot summer days.
Life is the sweet contentment,
The feeling of safety.
When your family is around,
Their laughter echoing through the walls.
Talking to your friends,
About anything and everything,
Hearts full, smiles warm,
Love radiating to no end.
Life is the long walks you take,
Conversing with the stars and the trees,
Life is the bonds you make.
Knowing someone loves you,
Even when you are worlds apart.
Life is the wind on your face,
The sound of your favorite song,
Everyone singing along.
Life is the good and the bad,
Being happy and being sad,
To live is to know you will die.
Life is,
Learning to be one with the sky.
