By Sayed Hosseini Bamdad Translated by Asadullah Jafari “Pezhman” Nowruz has arrived wearing roses Along with buttercup and rose lily It has blossomed towards the foothills Roses watered from the waterfall and river Flowers smiling on its lips When laughing, the roses bloom Embroidery of petals on the plains It is covered with…

A poem by F. Bakhtary I know a girl with a silent face but shouting inside. I know a girl with a smile on her face while crying in her heart. I know a girl, who understands others but has never been understood. I know a girl who fights for…

An Essay by Katayuon Kosha My name is Katayuon Kosha. I am from Afghanistan and my nationality is Hazara. I was born in 2004 in one of the remote provinces of Afghanistan. I am 18 years old and the oldest child in my family. Before the Taliban came, I used…

by Mohammad Zaki Zaki When the young women were told Of the Taliban’s new rule Some started crying Some shouted in anger Cursed the Taliban Some just said their last goodbyes To their friends Before walking away They message me every day Ask again and again to open the doors But I can’t help them I can’t even offer hope I pray to God to help them be Released from this prison We are all in a cage that is Afghanistan I hope one day our dreams come true To have mixed classes To have liberty To speak independently To have freedom of speech To see smiles on everyone’s faces To see happy parents again To be rescued from this jail

By Raihan Rahimi Afghanistan is surrounded by darkness and women and girls are facing this darkness more than others. I had been dreaming of going to university and fulfilling my dreams. But now I am extremely disappointed and injured by the situation created by the Taliban. My world is dark…

By Mohammad Zaki Zaki On a Wednesday, I went to the educational center where I work in the morning and taught my classes then went home to have lunch. Later, I went back to the center to teach my afternoon classes. I had asked my students from my first class…

by an Afghan Girl How I remember and can’t forget the corridors of my school, like mansions the tents we studied under, the carpets we carried How I remember and can’t forget I didn’t even have a notebook but stayed up all night studying for exams so we would not…

By Wadia Samadi They made peace with our enemies In the name of ending the “war on terrorism”. It was the men who decided our fate; Our own men, our “allies,” and soon-to-be our occupiers. We protested. We warned the world. But we were already sold behind closed doors. Today…

By Shaaban Karamdokht Translation by Asadullah Jafari “Pezhman” Again blood, blood, blood, this time The design of the Iftar table was red Suddenly, it fell on the sheet of soil Blood from the laps of the vernal girls The girls with bright eyes The girls with a lot of hope The girls…