Skip to main content
Afghanistan
2 min read

Taking my root off

Credits A poem by: Mahtab Sahel Translation: Wajid yaqubi illustration: Kajsa Nilsson March 04 2022

Mother has a beautiful girl
The sky my colourful shawl
The mirror with all its glittering
owes me a mouthful of smile

*

A lump in my throat
Worried of the salty food
Ever know the feeling
A free woman has
when forced
a free woman when forced
to give herself to a man
she doesn’t long for?
A man whose response to a smile
if ever, is silence?

*

A free woman who understands
Life is not jubilant at all
So much longing but not
for sex or bearing sons.

*

Should she feel sorrow
for a husband with no work?
An ailing mother
and a brother in despair
or a father’s burning cigarrets?

*

Razors yearning the taste of her lips
Dagger in hand
Friends running after her

*

Pills no more ease her fever
Moon no more on the veranda
at night
Decadent she is called
for the cigarette she smokes.

*

No cuddle of love
Leaning on a scarecrow
Combing a dolls hair
to quench her motherly urge.

*

Tired of all suddenly
Hand in hand with madness
Breaks the Afghan code of honor
Runs out of the house.

*

People in wait to accuse
Wolves in wait outside the door
Darkened road in wait
Danger across road in road.

*

Running to dig her own grave
behind the unfinished poem
Coiling in a corner
Fast asleep
Closed is the kitchen.

*

Too long is this worthless tale
Splashing water on her face
wearing a dress of ives
lipstick of deep rose.

*

The wind combing my hair
Two birds fly from my chest
Dancing like a butterfly
Taking all the roots off.

Like what you read?

Take action for freedom of expression and donate to PEN/Opp. Our work depends upon funding and donors. Every contribution, big or small, is valuable for us.

Donate on Patreon
More ways to get involved

Search