Parwana Amiri is an author, poet and activist from Afghanistan who is living in Greece since September 2019. Her poetry may seem softly written, but it contains hidden stories and bitter truths.

This poem is a conversation between Parwana and her historian friend Khpalwak, where she is expressing her feelings as a refugee girl and he answers them with messages of strength and resistance .

An Illustration by Shukran Shirzad, an Afghani artist living in Greece

A girl who gets coloured by words, eyes and thoughts of people. This is the reality of most Afghan women and girl’s life, as they have no right to speak or to express themselves

Butterfly Chats with Nature

Tell them that she is fine

…Like the moon of midnight shine

Let them know that she will fly

…Over the mountain of hope in the sky

.

Silenced among drowned rights

…As through a hot crack on ice

Wishes for good night

…As roses disappearing in the light

.

Open our wings let’s fly high

…Take a deep breath, let us cry

Pause is our death, let us go far

…Let’s achieve what we are made for

.

Silence is spectator of their crimes

…Let’s punish villains of the times

When harsh scenes come to mind

…The wilderness of humans make them blind

.

Let them know she was injured in war

…Once she was the rose of the desert

No more adorned and feathered

…Let us then mourn for her

Close this chapter, I am so tired!