# data[].attributes.body
Ana Welsh
change,
what had overcome Rasheed.
Most nights his lips locked
only opening for food,
He was mean,
quick to fault Mariam.
They walked in town
but he was never truly there.
He was easily annoyed with her.
they sat listening to music one night
amongst a winter storm,
"Are you mad at me?"
asked Mariam
Rasheed blew the question over his head,
like the snow that was blowing outside the window.
The old genuine Rasheed had vanished like a ghost in the wintry night.
pages 100-101

# data[].attributes.body
Turn Back!
Denzel jackson

Peering the corner

Across the dirt road

In the dark

Almost home

What will be said

What could be said

Fear in my head

A man in front

A man looks back

A man in fear

A man is sad

But I push forward

I must see

But what i see

Will forever haunt

Me

# data[].attributes.body
Tytiyano Moon
War
A bad thing in Kabul
The feeling of bombs
Bullets
Blood flying everywhere
What happened to my beautiful city

# data[].attributes.body
Shadai Kennedy
(pg 349)
In Rasheed´s eyes
he saw murder for them both
Mariam raised the shovel high,
raised it as high as she could
arching so it touched
the small of her back
Mariam never felt that feeling before
She wanted to be free
Mariam brought down the shovel,
she gave it everything
she had

# data[].attributes.body
Innara Nurani
(Pg 7)
Jalil didn't have the dil either,
to do the honorable thing.
To stand up to his family,
to his wives
to his in-laws
and accept responsibility
for what he had done.
You know what he told his wives
by the way of defense
that i forced
myself on him
This is what it means
to be a women
in this world
Learn this now
and learn it well,
my daughter
Like a compass needle
that points north,
a man's accusing finger,
always finds a women.
Always.
You remember that,
Mariam.

# data[].attributes.body
Halima Issack
(Pg.370-371)
Mariam kept her eyes to the ground
her executioners shadow trailing hers
Though there had been moments of beauty in her life
Mariam knew that for the most part
life had been unkind to her
From the minute she was born
she had been a burden to many
Mariam wished she could see Laila again
Wished she could hear the roar  of her laugh
Wished she could sit with her once more
for a cup of chai and halwa under a starlight sky
Mariam wished for so much in those final moments
As she closed her eyes she did not feel regretful
A sensation of peace washed over her .
She came into this world as a regrettable accident
Yet, she was leaving as a friend, a companion, a guardian and a mother .

# data[].attributes.body
The Bruqa (pg 72-73)

Never worn a buruqa before

He helped me but it felt more like he was forcing me to put it on

Uncomfortable mesh covering my eyes while practing

Im being suffocated to death slowly

But he doesnot care

He only cares about his image and representation when people sees us in public

Feeing ashamed maybe this is going to be a good way to cover up my pass

# data[].attributes.body
Peering the corner

Across the dirt road

In the dark

Almost home

What will be said

What could be said

Fear in my head

A man in front

A man looks back

A man in fear

A man is sad

But I push forward

I must see

But what i see

Will forever haunt

Me

Page 36

# data[].attributes.body
Fatimah Nazneen

# data[].attributes.body
Bryson Hurt

Tears, Pain, & Heartache

I should’ve listened to NaNa

Life is moving at a rapid pace

Now living with a stranger,

Looking at the world through a Burqa

What have I done to deserve this

Eating pebbles, emotional pain, Molesting

Pushed away by the one i once loved
Thick smell of cigarette smoke

# data[].attributes.body
Max Nunnally

Waking up in the morning
Day by day life is the same
Rasheed and his awful pain
His treatment hurts
He beats me to help himself
It hurts me, but heals him
I cry alot thinking of my next day
As I know it will be worse than today
Day by day life gets worse
I wish I could leave this curse.

# data[].attributes.body
Charlie M.

the man that I loved grew up with me my whole life

Demonstrating true love for me

He both deeply cared for each other

Tariq, my brave man, he stood up for me, fighting Khadim with his prosthetic leg.

Our first kiss was something to always remember.

Unlocking the keys to our soul

That was most definitely and genuine true love

# data[].attributes.body
By: Amina Lawson

Smoke and strong cologne.

A thick bellied, tall broad shouldered shadow

With bloodshot eyes,

Anger hidden beneath a sly cheerfulness.

Forced conversation and false kindness.

Rotten nails, forcing blame,

pointing towards the innocent;

Rotten personality.

Screaming, hitting, neglect

Rasheed’s abuse looms like a dark cloud

Over all of Kabul

Pg.52-53

Pg.236-241

# data[].attributes.body
By: London Williams
His eyes blood-shot as her body Began to rot.
The shovel swung and gave him A knot.
Rasheed looked up and soon They forgot,
He had a gun and would kill Them in one shot.
Only one choice they had,
Knowing it'll go bad.
Mariam swung a final time,
And killed Zalmai's dad.
The guilt on Mariam's face made Her feel sad.
She cleared her throat and said
"Whats done is done."
Almost like she was glad.

# data[].attributes.body
ABUSE || By: Ashton Dickinson

Abuse,

This is something not everyone goes through

But Miriam goes through more than just Physical

Emotional abuse can affect someone forever,

Especially at the age she was at.

But little did she know

that she would go through something way worse

Rasheed, her husband, the reason.

the reason why he died,

Why she was beat,

And the reason for her mental health.

Abuse should not be taken lightly,

And that's for a fact

So to everyone that thinks this is a joke

I dare YOU to try and fight back

Pages: 104, 222, 272, and 348

# data[].attributes.body
Hidden By: Kaityn Robinson

Seeing the world through a mesh screen

Tight and heavy on her skull

Tripping over the hem

Hidden.

Go back turn around

Gusts of wind blowing

Nana dangling at the end

Hidden.

Hiding from her past

It was her fault

The death of her mother

She feels guilty

Hidden in her burqa

# data[].attributes.body
They lay there looking at the ceiling.
Nothing but silence.
Mariam lay there in shock.
Time has stopped.
Its what married people do Rasheed says.
Another long pause.
The moment feeling so surreal.

Amber L.
Page 77

# data[].attributes.body
They always ate as a family,

Conversations always flowed.

Uncomplicated by differences,

Lalia loved eating meals at Tariq's house.

These matters never even came up,

Over meals,

Eating them at hers,

She disliked them.

Good days,

And bad ones too.

Christian Hill
Pgs 130-131

# data[].attributes.body
when Mariam's mom died she felt all types of feelings but mostly sadness cause she wasn't there when she was supposed to be so she feels bad cause she made a dumb decision

# data[].attributes.body
Screaming and crying all the way home,

tears continued to flow down her face,

What would she say to Nana (p.33)

led out the car to unforeseen hauntings;

Across the stream even closer to…

“Go back! No. Don’t look now. Turn around! Go back!” (p.33)

The driver’s swiftness delayed the horrific site

but Mariam, traumatized by the site of her mother,

dangling, swaying in the wind.

Nana was with Mariam since the beginning

Yet this part of her life had come to an end

This was Mariam’s end to her beginning

# data[].attributes.body
Cars with long,
sleek hoods pulled up.
Where do I belong?
Like the wind through the willows,
gusts of an inexpressible blackness kept passing through.
Voices,
sharp and angry,
doors being slammed
You are nothing.

Abby F. 40-42

# data[].attributes.body
Everyday I wake up
In Constant fear
Thinking of what happens next
The life of a women
Strong but worrying
Making life difficult
rules
restrictions
actions
confusion
Composure is key

# data[].attributes.body
In life with Rasheed
Days are grim

# data[].attributes.body
Mariam would always remember
Mariam would wait and watch
They laugh at you. They do. I hear them
You know I love you, Mariam Jo
Sat listening quietly
Let the girl have an education
Endure
You know I love you, Mariam Jo
Mariam waited
She crossed the stream
How would she apologize
Don’t look now, turn back
Nana dangling at the end
You know I love you, Mariam Jo
Good news
A suitor
Rasheed
Cigarette smoke
Thick cologne
You know I love you, Mariam Jo
Did I scare you
Are you frightened of me
What did I say about crying Mariam
Mariam Jan
Hyperventilating
Ears buzzed, pulse fluttered
You know I love you, Mariam Jo
Burqa
No longer worried
Shameful secrets of her past
Life had been unkind to her
Stopped
Mariam wished for so much
It was not regret
Abundant peace
Harami child of a lowly villager
Leaving as a woman
Who had loved and been loved back
Legitimate end to a life of illegitimate beginnings
He has created heavens and earth with the truth
He is mighty
The Great Forgiver
Kneel
One last time Mariam did as she was told
You know I love you, Mariam Jo.
Wyatt K Pg. 1-370

# data[].attributes.body
it wouldn’t have happened if Mammy had showed up
If she had filled her promises
The tense depression
Mammy’s bed whipped hair
Her pale like skin
Her thirst for darkness
It wasn’t fair
Good days
Bad days
The melancholy
Shouldn’t be allowed to have new children if they’d already given away all their love to their old ones
love only came by the evens

# data[].attributes.body
His eyes blood-shot as her body began rot
The shovel swung strong and gave him a knot
Rasheed looked up and soon they forgot,
He had a gun and would kill them in one shot.
Only one choice they had,
Knowing it will go bad.
Mariam swung a final time,
And killed Zalmai's dad.