“It all started when a classmate’s father pushed me against a wall and grabbed me by the throat because of some drama that his daughter started and blamed on me. I was fourteen years old at the time, and it happened at my school in front of all my friends. He held me and verbally abused me until I could feel the tears in my eyes – and I usually never cry. When I went to the principal, he blamed me and said I was one of the most troublesome students at the school. He said that if I call the police, I would be reported too. That whole event led me to start writing poems encapsulating the thing I’d been suppressing for so long. My poetry puts my frustration and anger into words. It’s a comeback toward all the teachers that said ‘Yasmin, be quiet’, ‘You’re too angry’ and ‘You never do as you’re told’. I can never write about beautiful and peaceful things in life. The words only come to me when I’m angry. Poetry is my way of standing up because, in the racist society that we live in, you can’t live passively. Sometimes I think back at my old school and all the kids that never dared to say anything. Now when I’m gone, who will take the fight for them?”
(Gothenburg, Sweden)
“Arday aannu isku fasal ahayn aabbihii ayaa derbiga igu dhejiyey, cunahana i qabtay, sababtuna ahayd mushkilad ay gabadhiisa bilowday oo ay aniga igu eedaysay. Maalintaas ayay ii bilaabantay, 14 jir ayaan ahaa, asxaabtayda oo dhanna way u jeedeen. Wuu i hayey waanu i caayayey intaas oo dhan ilaa ay ilmo iga timid – shaqsiyan ahaan maba ihi qof ooya. Maamulaha iskuulka markii aan u tegay, aniga ayuu eedda i saaray waxaanu yiri waxaad ka mid tahay ciyaalka ugu dhibaatada badan iskuulka. Wuxuu ii sheegay in haddii aan Booliiska waco, aniga la i dacweyn doono. Dhacdadaas ayaa igu kelliftay in aan dareenkayga qoraal ku soo gudbiyo. Xanaaqa iyo ciilka i qabta ayaan suugaan ku soo gudbiyaa. Waa jid aan iskaga dhicinayo macallimiintii berigaa igu oran jirtay ‘Yaasmin, afka xir,’ ‘Waad xanaaq badan tahay’ iyo ‘Waxba ma maqashid’. Waxa igu adag in aan quruxda iyo nabadda nolosha wax ka qoro. Ereyada waxa aan helayaa marka aan xanaaqo oo keli ah. Waxa aynu ku nool nahay bulsho faquuq badan leh oo aanad indhaha ka qabsan karin, taas ayaan gabayo kaga hortagaa. Mararka qaar waxaan soo xasuustaa carruurtii aannu wada dhigan jirnay iskuulka, carruurtii cabsan jirtay ee aan hadli jirin. Maadaama oo aan ka tegay, yaa u hadlaya oo u dagaallamaya?”
(Gothenburg, Iswiidhan)
