A Poem by Parwana Amiri
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. With her work, she challenges the power of art and poetry to convey these bitter truths of the times. This poem was written, with all her solidarity to those who lost their school in the fire attack and accident was taken by racist people in Lesvos to one of refugee support centre: a symbol of racist mobilization with slogan of “reclaiming the islands”.
Illustration by Micol Suber
It needs courage!
It needs courage to build a school !
It needs courage to touch children’s hearts !
It needs courage to welcome homelessness !
It needs courage to stand with us in one line !
It needs courage to open an educational house !
It needs courage to give hope for hopelessness !
It needs courage to give pens to those that have never touched a pen before !
It needs courage to paint the black and white world of the wounded !
It needs courage to advocate from silences !
It needs courage to give shelter to others !
It needs courage to stay a human !
It needs courage !
It need courage !
BECAUSE ….
It’s easy to destroy !
It’s easy to break hearts !
It’s easy to shout at the silenced !
It’s easy to close your eyes on truths !
It’s easy to hurt those who have been hurtled many times !
It’s easy to sit aside !
It’s easy to show your power against weaknesses !
It’s easy !
It’s easy !
But , we will never give up !
We will build again , stronger than before !
We will help again more committed than before !
We will bring happiness and stay happy , happier than before !
We will make islands free