Shampa Iftakhar

Poetry/

Poetry | Hear Me, Hear Us

Hear me! Hear us!

I have been killed so perfectly- Death was my guest when I welcomed you

I never assumed – you are a poison- your words are your investments

Sunlight bathes me – as it did many years back

I am hearing the buzz

News headline-

“A college student found dead”

I was guilty of being so passionate- so ambitious – we are guilty of trusting you!

We have been killed-or redesigned

I have been killed so perfectly in a perfect moment

I am sunlight now-

I have been burnt so perfectly- Colorful flames touched my skins, cells I endured the burnt body for four days-alive, all alone I was guilty of accusing you of your lust, touching me and many others I was guilty of unveiling your rotten- monstrous eyes, hands and almost everything That shattered thousand dreams I have been burnt so perfectly- petrol bathes me- I am fire now-

I have been gang-raped, I remember your laughing, high-fiving when you penetrated on me Hyenas tearing me – inch by inch – I was guilty of returning late-

I am guilty of lonely girl or woman

– riding the bus at night

We are guilty of being women; or a five month girl or a teenage

We have been gang-raped -yes, gang-raped-you have been too

Thousand roar- she is a roaming prostitute- backlash

I have been repeatedly gang-raped, like you, like her,

Like my mother, grandmother-

I am a voice now-

i am Nusrat-i am muniya- i am tanu-i am joyti- i am salam- i am 5- i am 20 -i am 45-i am a student- i am a garments worker- i am a widow-i am lasbian-i am a bengali- i am muslim-i am hindu- i am christian- i am a rohingya-i am a chakma- i am an immigrant- i am a refugee- i am the world – i am the ocean- i am the air-i am the earth- I AM SUNLIGHT-SEE THE TRUTH- I AM FIRE- BURN THE HELL- I AM A VOICE- HEAR ME-HEAR US!!!

About Shampa

Shampa Iftakhar, Assistant Professor (Study Leave), Department of English, Daffodil International University is currently pursuing her MA in Women’s & Gender Studies in Southern Connecticut State University. Her areas of interest include Sexual Violence, Rohingya Issue in Bangladesh, American Literature, Religion, Diaspora Literature, #Me Too in Bangladesh, and Feminism in Bangladesh.

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