Two Poems of Resistance from Afghan Women

Don’t laugh at me
Written by Shamila Mohammadi, translated by Wadia Samadi

Don’t laugh at me
Even at the peak of my frailty, I am stronger than you.

I swear on every drop of my tears,
I will respond
To every single pain,
To your torture, your cruelty;
With my logic and success.

What you’ve tried to shatter
Stands like a solid wall today.
I am not a coward.
I will fight for my rights,
Even with you.


Don’t Hide Me
Written by Tamana Ibrahimkhail, translated by Wadia Samadi

I am a woman and you a man,
But above all,
We are both human,
Not superior to one another.

Do not hide me,
I will be revealed one day
And you will realize
Nothing matters more than being a human.

Do not hide me;
Know me.
Don’t try to silence my femininity.
Our beauty is in our diversity.