Farheen, with a grieving heart, pens a poem for an unborn child, fearing a cruel world unfit for their innocent dreams, for Different Truths.
My child, though you rest in the quiet of the night,
I write you a poem before you see light,
The world you will enter is scarred and unkind,
But we plant you in hope, though shadows unwind.
In Gaza, children wail in endless despair,
I choose not to mother, my choice laid bare.
Yet the world will whisper, dismiss my voice,
Try a check-up, try IVF — you’ve no other choice.
They dream of a sky free from bombs in the air,
Where laughter lives on, not stolen, not rare.,
But innocence fades, in the fire it’s worn,
And I’m left to wonder if safety is ever born.
In the valleys of Nepal, where the mountains stand tall,
People pray for peace, but too often they fall,
The quake of injustice shakes harder than stone,
And the world that forgets them leaves them alone.
The streets erupt in anger, and protests ignite the air,
Families mourn loved ones with sorrow to bear,
Leaders clash, and violence spreads deep and wide,
Yet hope flickers quietly, refusing to hide.
In India’s streets, where women should bloom,
They walk every day under the shadows of doom,
Their voices suppressed, their safety denied,
And silence becomes the weapon worldwide.
The market of morals is cheap, full of lies,
People trade kindness for power that dies,
They mimic the faces of leaders we see,
But I don’t trust their hearts to guard you or me.
Social media whispers, then shouts in our ears,
It poisons the soul, and it harvests our fears,
The value of family is sold for a trend,
And I wonder what kind of love I can defend.
The farmer who labours with sweat on his brow,
Is mocked by the rich who will never know how,
The bread on their tables was born of his hand,
Yet his life is dismissed, his worth never planned.
Workers who bleed just to keep life alive,
Are trampled by those who do nothing but thrive,
And children are taught that success has one face,
Money and greed with no trace of grace.
My child, when you open your eyes to the sky,
You’ll see broken hearts that no riches can buy,
The rich build their towers, the poor build the ground,
But trust in humanity is rarely found.
Beware of the cowards who smile and betray,
They’ll come when they need you, then vanish away,
They’ll praise you in daylight, then mock you by night,
Their souls have no compass, no sense of what’s right.
Hypocrisy lingers in laughter and cheer,
People preach love but spread hatred and fear,
They talk about justice, they tweet about pain,
But stand silent when evil comes knocking again.
Some men seek to own what was never their right,
They disrobe a woman and laugh at her fight,
They call themselves holy, or noble, or true,
But I cannot trust them to safeguard you.
Politicians promise with sugar in tone,
But hollow their words, for their hearts are of stone,
They harvest division, they profit from hate,
And I don’t want you tied to their fate.
My child, I confess, this world makes me weep,
Its wounds are so heavy, its scars cut so deep,
And though I would wish you a dawn after rain,
I fear you’ll inherit only its pain.
You may ask us someday, "Why bring me here"?
Where hatred and hunger keep drawing near,
And I’ll tell you, my child, with a trembling voice,
I never trusted this world to give you a choice
For every bomb dropped, there is someone who prays,
For every betrayal, one heart still stays,
But those hearts are too few, and the darkness too wide,
And I fear for your soul if you walk outside.
Your small hands, I dream they could hold,
A life full of safety, a bold love,
But I cannot promise the life I once planned,
Because trust in this earth slips away from my hand.
Remember the faces of mothers who cry,
The fathers who bury their dreams when they die,
The children who ask for a cradle of peace,
But trust in mankind has all but ceased.
The world may deceive you, may ask you to bend,
But truth is a sword you must always defend
Your voice may be small, but I pray it won’t break,
Yet I know how much cruelty one soul can take.
And though I fear deeply the world you will see,
I whisper this promise from your father and me,
We’ll love you forever, though we cannot give,
The life that I dreamt you deserved to live.
Learn not to measure your worth by the crown,
But by how you lift those who already are down,
Still, I admit with tears in my chest,
This world may not grant you peace or rest.
Your cradle is small, but the world you will see,
Is endless in sorrow, in cruelty, in plea,
And I do not trust it to give you the grace,
That I longed to place in your innocent face.
So, sleep in my belly, protected, at rest,
I wish I could promise the world at its best,
But my child, forgive me, I can only say true,
This earth is not nice and not worthy of you.
The beauty of feelings has been broken and torn,
Love’s sacred expressions feel weary and worn,
Hugs and sweet kisses, once chaste at the core,
Are sold without meaning at every door.
I wished I had touched you and carried you near,
To bring you to life and to hold you dear,
But I wonder, my child, would you like it here,
Amidst all the chaos, confusion, and fear?
The pollution around us chokes hearts to the core,
The decibels rise and leave peace no more,
Even if you cry, even if you plead,
The noise of this world won’t answer your need.
The faiths are all questioned, the holy places and pilgrimages in doubt,
The prayers once whispered are now drowned out,
And peace, my child, is nowhere to be found,
Though we search for it deeply, the silence resounds.
I didn’t wish to be a mother, to carry you near,
To hold you for months through the weight and the fear,
A voice that would call me a mother so true,
While I hide behind curtains to play peek-a-boo.
At least, my dear, I’m happy you’re not here,
I think I saved you from what I bear,
I don’t have sleepless nights to wait at the door,
For my unborn child whose footsteps I’ll never hear anymore.
They don’t want a girl, for dowry is the fear,
Another fear: pervert men sitting everywhere near,
In Manipur, Kathua, and cities across the land,
Gujarat, Hathras, Hyderabad, Assam – heinous acts by cruel hands.
My thoughts echo, my child, whoever you may be,
Girl or boy, my fears reach you equally,
The world I have described discriminates,
But your safety and innocence, my heart will dedicate.
And if you ever wonder why I did not call you forth,
It was to save you from this world’s bitter mirth,
I hold you in my heart, wrapped in endless care,
My love for you shines brighter than any despair.
Picture design by Anumita Roy
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