Who am I? by Kishwar Naheed

I am not the woman selling shoes and socks. I am the one You buried alive in a wall And became guiltless as the breeze. You did not know that brick and mortar Cannot bury voices.

I am the one Whom you buried under the load of custom. You did not know That light never fears darkness.

I am the one From whose lap you took flowers And returned thorns and embers. You did not know That fragrance cannot be stopped by chains.

(tr. by Baidar Bakht & Derek M. Cohen)

— Salt in Wounds by Kishwar Naheed (Page 44)