The people in my country are always running
They cannot sit; they are rushing and suffering
They cannot LIVE—because they are trying to survive
In Arabic “The Life of the world is like the rain/That waters the crops of the earth” (10:24)
I was not even a year old, when my family ran
A migration across mountains
Marked desperation mounted
In raids, bombs, and blockades
And once, they got caught
Caved, covered by an avalanche of rock
Left to die
But that wasn’t what my sister wanted
My sister dug us out
The people in my country do not have time to think
They no longer hear the voice of rivers
Or the smell of flowers in spring
Because Afghanistan, they say, is the most dangerous place in the world
I felt this violence when a bullet tore through me, on the front line fighting The Taliban
I felt it as I watched the rain fall that night
I watched it stream over Daud’s scarf; Daud, he was next to me
I saw it in the tears of the man who rescued me
But it hurt me most when it took my brother; my brother was my light
In fact, my whole town felt it when he died.
Because it happened just before his wedding
We had beautiful decorations, and dress—
That was used for his funeral instead
But I’ve learned how to go ahead with life
In Arabic “The life of the world is like the rain/That waters the crops of the earth” (10:24)
Because I can also feel the warmth of my country
My people! My people can move, and
In peace, my people could thrive
With God as my guide
Before I die
I’m going to do something
I’m going to make something for my people
Because I think internationally
Because God created you, and me
Without a line in between
The brown, white, west, east
There is no sense in these boundaries
We close doors
And cause disorder
In our effort to uphold borders
Which is why, I just don’t believe in them
My people! Let us clean our hearts, and LIVE TOGETHER
In Arabic and English “The life of the world is like the rain/That waters the crops of the earth” (10:24)
by: Aria Florant
Stanford University, CA, USA
March, 2007
They cannot sit; they are rushing and suffering
They cannot LIVE—because they are trying to survive
In Arabic “The Life of the world is like the rain/That waters the crops of the earth” (10:24)
I was not even a year old, when my family ran
A migration across mountains
Marked desperation mounted
In raids, bombs, and blockades
And once, they got caught
Caved, covered by an avalanche of rock
Left to die
But that wasn’t what my sister wanted
My sister dug us out
The people in my country do not have time to think
They no longer hear the voice of rivers
Or the smell of flowers in spring
Because Afghanistan, they say, is the most dangerous place in the world
I felt this violence when a bullet tore through me, on the front line fighting The Taliban
I felt it as I watched the rain fall that night
I watched it stream over Daud’s scarf; Daud, he was next to me
I saw it in the tears of the man who rescued me
But it hurt me most when it took my brother; my brother was my light
In fact, my whole town felt it when he died.
Because it happened just before his wedding
We had beautiful decorations, and dress—
That was used for his funeral instead
But I’ve learned how to go ahead with life
In Arabic “The life of the world is like the rain/That waters the crops of the earth” (10:24)
Because I can also feel the warmth of my country
My people! My people can move, and
In peace, my people could thrive
With God as my guide
Before I die
I’m going to do something
I’m going to make something for my people
Because I think internationally
Because God created you, and me
Without a line in between
The brown, white, west, east
There is no sense in these boundaries
We close doors
And cause disorder
In our effort to uphold borders
Which is why, I just don’t believe in them
My people! Let us clean our hearts, and LIVE TOGETHER
In Arabic and English “The life of the world is like the rain/That waters the crops of the earth” (10:24)
by: Aria Florant
Stanford University, CA, USA
March, 2007