Poems of Shabana Nehzat (Afghanistan)

Shabana Nehzat, granddaughter of Mohammad Saber, was born on the first day of the month of Saratan (April) in 1370 Hijri Solar (1991 CE) into an educated and culturally oriented family in Chah Aab district, Takhar province. Her father was a Master Engineer and her mother a teacher. Both played a vital role in educating and nurturing future generations, which greatly influenced her intellectual and cultural growth.

She enrolled at Bibimoon Girls High School in 1375 (1996 CE) and graduated with excellent results in 1387 (2008 CE). In 1388 (2009 CE), she entered the Faculty of Dari Language and Literature at Kabul University of Education and obtained her bachelor’s diploma in 1391 (2012 CE).

Alongside her studies, Shabana Nehzat began her professional career in the media sector. She collaborated with Radio Zafar and the Association of Free Radios of Afghanistan and worked as a news editor at Shamshad Television. Her journalistic work focused on amplifying the voices of the people and reflecting social realities.

She served as a full-time teacher in public schools for three consecutive years and then taught for another three years in a private school. She is a member of the Afghan Women Journalists Network, a “Positive Generation Ambassador,” and an active participant in literary committees and online literary associations. She is also a member of the Global Foundation of Sabzmanesh Wordsmiths.

In addition to her artistic and cultural activities, she teaches at online universities and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Psychology.

Her literary works reflect the pain, suffering, and harsh realities of society, especially the lives of Afghan women who have long endured oppression and inequality. Through her pen, she strives to portray the realities of Afghan women and give voice to their untold stories.

In addition to poetry, she writes fiction. Her short stories, including “Severed Hands” and “Unfulfilled Love,” narrate the struggles of suffering Afghan women. These works have not yet been published.

Shabana Nehzat has participated in numerous educational seminars on teaching methodologies, modern pedagogy, and journalism, and has also organized specialized training programs.

Her first poetry collection, titled Wounded Leaves, has been published and reflects her deep emotional and humanistic perspective on social pain and suffering.

Today, her diverse works are published in various literary formats by different literary associations, and her active presence in online literary communities demonstrates her dedication, passion, and continuous commitment to art and culture.

Ghazal 1

Our voices are lost in the cold, endless night,

A heavy sob remains trapped in our throat, full of light.

Beneath the dark umbrella of tyrants’ cruel reign,

We carry wounds like wounded wolves, fighting through pain.

Our daughters are brave, deep-rooted, and strong,

They stare into darkness and still march along.

We fear no judgment, no death, no wall of oppression,

For knowledge and light have made our hearts their possession.

In our silence there burns a bright spark of awakening,

Every quiet woman equals twenty men in her making.

Ghazal 2

I don’t know why I’ve lost all control,

I wanted his heart with every spring I stole.

It wasn’t my choice — neither beginning nor end,

Suddenly he became my whole world, my only friend.

My once-peaceful heart was captured in a night,

Sleepless eyes waiting, longing for his light.

I never said “I love you,” yet he stayed,

Living quietly inside every one of my days.

I run from myself and this burning desire,

Hiding a secret that sets my soul on fire.

I don’t know what to do with this love so deep,

It burns me alive, yet its flame I still keep.

Ghazal 3

I gave my heart to a glance, unaware,

I left myself behind for a love so rare.

With you the lost world was suddenly found,

With you my dark night became dawn all around.

Every breeze carries your scent through the air,

Every morning brings memories of you everywhere.

My heart drowns in the ocean of your eyes,

Like a poor wanderer staring at gold in surprise.

Your shadow has fallen on my body and soul,

Your love is a flame on a fresh, tender leaf.

Stay with me forever, walk by my side,

May my path always lead to your door, open wide.

Ghazal 4

The night is pitch dark and my soul longs for your face,

My heart aches for those eyes and that brow full of grace.

With blood from my heart I sent a letter to the wind,

Your name is the prayer on my lips, my morning hymn.

Where have you gone? Without you my heart knows no peace,

Nights are sleepless, days torn, and my eyes never cease.

I’ve fallen into a corner, my mind I now hate,

This drunkenness comes from your love, not from wine’s gate.

In sleep and in waking, I see no one but you,

You are the sun, and the world is your mirror, shining true.

Ghazal 5

O my rare jewel among all these diamonds so bright,

You’ve filled my eyes and my feelings with pure delight.

Your laughter became calm in my storm-tossed heart,

Your words washed away sorrow and worry’s dark art.

Your love turned into a spring in this desert of being,

With the wine of your eyes, all my despair started fleeing.

Every glance from you lights a new fire in me,

The heat of your love burned away every boundary.

You left, and your scar now lives deep in my ruined chest,

In your love I stand apart from those who know not your worth.