POEM: A LEARNED GIRL STARING DOWN THE BARREL OF A GUN

@Ali Noureldine 

Quiet is the work of a teacher, 

quiet, like a mountain amassed with snow, 

and learning by way of the pen is far more forgiving

than learning by the way of the sword

Yet observe the banning and burning

of women and books, 

you can tell how weak something is 

by how much violence is used

What are they afraid of?

That under their covers, 

exists the whole world? 

Ever fearsome is the caged bird

that knows the name of the bars 

that bind it

It begins to beat its wings 

and sing songs of freedom

So they bind the songbird. 

and strip its feathers.

They call this the law of God,

an arrow that both pierces and poisons.

What are they afraid of?

That you cannot force ignorance on a free bird?

That a free bird cannot be owned?

I will leave you with an anecdote;

whenever my father-

An Afghan man with tribal anger-

and I would argue

He would retort, “I should've never sent you to school!”

What is he afraid of?

That when he offers me chains

he says have been ordained for me,

that all I do is  refuse?