Eisha Sarkar
International Writing Program 2016, The University of Iowa (USA)
The faces, the places
The many races
Speeches, lectures
Many campuses
Across the oceans
I travelled so far
A student, a learner
Of customs, habits
My two degrees
An exemplary record
I could have landed
A job in a law firm
Then came a call
From my 'home'
A tug at my heart
I returned to Kabul
A city in ruins
I gathered the pieces:
The detritus of war
I watched the young:
Eyes full of hope
Then came the desire
To rebuild a nation
My tool in hand:
A good education
And so I taught
Classes and classes
Building a nation
From its pieces
Then one day
I heard the 'crackers
A celebration of sorts,
I smiled and thought
I walked to the window
And saw those men
“This ain't the crackers,”
I told my students
They worried, they texted
The door pushed open
The students screamed
Entered a gunman
I tried to speak
He pulled the trigger
I fell down, 'twas all over
Twelve dead, they counted
An attack on education
In a disturbed nation
Don't mourn our deaths
I tell you, students
Pick up your pens
Open your minds
Build a strong nation.
How I created this piece:
On August 24, 2016, terrorists attacked
the American University of Afghanistan (AUAF) in Kabul. Desperate
students used social media to ask for help. My friends lost a couple
of very well-educated friends in those attacks. I created this piece
based on the profiles of some of the people who were killed that
night. The country needs to reconcile this tragedy and move ahead
towards a stronger future.
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