Shahnaz Khalili leads an artists collective of Afghan painters. Their group seeks to paint a real picture of what is happening in their country. They say that even if they die, their bones are still formed and their hands come out of the ground to fight for the prosperity of their homeland.

تهاجم کلاغ ها
در بحبوحه جهان
ناگهان
از آن سرزمین بیگانه ناشناس
کلاغهای چنگال تیز کرده رسیدند
در خانه ما
سرباز های بی سر سربلند درد می کشیدند
دردی ناتمام و جان فرسا
لکه های خون سربازان سربلند بی سر
پاشیده بر پرچم وطن
اما
این دردها فراموش نشدند
نمیشوند
و نخواهند شد
در پس هر قطره خون
امیدی جوانه زده
عهدی بسته شده
و کودکی به انتظار انتقام رشد میکند
در این سرزمین
“مرگ امید” معنایی ندارد

Invasion of Crows
In the midst of the world
Suddenly
From that unknown alien land
The crows with sharp claws arrived
In our house
Headless but proud soldiers are in pain
Endless and life-threatening pain
Bloodstains of proud headless soldiers
Sprinkled on the flag of the homeland
But…
These pains have not been forgotten
They will never be forgotten
Not now nor in the future
Behind every drop of blood
A sprouted hope
A covenant is made
And a child grows up, waiting to get revenge
In this land
“Death of hope” has no meaning
Poem by Shahnaz Khalili
Translated from Persian by Raha Azadi
