"Two Evils"

The army said they came here to fight the Taliban
at least that was the reason that they had all said
but even after we all witnessed how the Taliban fled
The army destroyed everything in our little village
There's just ruble where my school once used to be
There's no sign of what was once my favorite tree
Not even one single persons home is left standing
and we are all left here homeless not understanding
wondering who is the worse evil of these terrible two
Two evils that my whole village wishes we never knew

Pakistani Sarmil Khan and his daughter Faryal sit next to the rubble of their house destroyed in an air strike in Sultanwas village, in Dagar, Buner district, Pakistan, Wednesday, May 27, 2009.

"Worth"

I saw a Pashtun child wounded in a suicide bombing
I saw a Pashtun mother crying over her dead son
I saw a Pashtun beggar left homeless by the army
Today I saw in my own mirror a price on my head
It said Pashtun blood for sale cheap alive or dead
Every day now seems worse than the one before
Nobody likes to think what tomorrow has in store
Every Pashtun knows there's a price on their head
and that they're worth less alive than they are dead

"The City of the Dead"

Pekhawar, my dear home
once called the the city of flowers
has become the city of sorrows
Murders
Kidnappings
Suicide bombs
the Taliban has the city in fear
and nobody wants to stay here
but there is nowhere left to go
No place is safe we know
Everywhere
Murders
Kidnappings
Suicide bombs
the Taliban are now
everywhere
like a plague they have spread
leaving a trail of my people dead
Murders
Kidnappings
Suicide bombs
everywhere
Pekhawar, my dear home
once called the the city of flowers
Now you are called the city of sorrows
I fear that one day very soon instead
you will be called the city of the dead

Pakistani men arrive at the scene after a bomb blast at Qissa Khawani bazaar in Peshawar, Pakistan, on Thursday May 28, 2009. This was just the latest suicide bombing.

"Choices"

They say cowards die a thousand deaths
and that a Pashtun warrior dies only one
Which one will we chose to live and die as
Now that this battle against us has begun
Why is the Pashtunkwa enveloped in silence
during this dark time of unforgivable violence
One by one we are slaughtered like sheep
while like cowards we do nothing but weep
Will we Pashtuns keep on living like cowards
slowly, painfully,cruelly dying every single day
or will we bravely stand up and have our say
Our choices made today will decide our fate
We must act now before it becomes too late
Warriors never die without putting up a fight
but to win this war we Pashtuns must all unite

"The Most Beautiful Fruit"

The seeds have been planted
Every day it grows stronger
spreading quickly
like a weed out of control
but this is no weed
It is the most beautiful fruit
though it has yet to blossom
It is being watered by our tears
and fertilized by our resentment
and it's name is freedom
The most beautiful fruit
Help it bloom!
Be the sun shining on it
for nothing grows in the dark
Be a fire! Don't be a spark!

"Another Lost Pashtun Generation"

You think you see hope in her eyes yet I see her fears
That shine that you think you see in her eyes is tears
Precious tears of yet another lost Pashtun generation

She so is afraid that her home she might never again see
She is so afraid that forever she will be living in this misery
Terrified thoughts of yet another lost Pashtun generation

Millions of us before left our beloved homes unable to return
As history repeats itself I wonder why Pashtuns never learn
As I look at the sad eyes of a new lost Pashtun generation

From so many enemies we have been forced to flee our land
How painful that feels someone like me can easily understand
Because I was part of another lost Pashtun generation

"So Our Dear Children......"

I see a beautiful young Pashtun girl staring in silence
her sorrowful little eyes give a glimpse of the violence
that her and millions of children were forced to flee
and now they all live the so called "life" of a refugee

Gone are her friends, her family, her dolls and dreams
Now for her and others life has become a hell it seems
It's a hell that we Pashtuns have been through before
and we wonder how much more hell we all have in store

We Pashtuns are a proud people wanting only to be free
yet time and again we end up living the life of a refugee
Is there some sort of lesson we were supposed to learn
or must now every Pashtun child get their very own turn

Perhaps this might be the time we will finally all get it right
and together as one nation we Pashtuns will at last unite
so our dear children will never again in refugee camps cry
so our dear children will never again look at us asking why

"Never Again"

As we watched the summer rain falling
fast and furious as if someone was sobbing
we imagined the angels in heaven were crying
crying down their tears in the form of this summer rain
witnessing our Pashtun people's misery and pain

As we watched the news start unfolding
worse things every day they kept on showing
As we imagined how our own people are suffering
anger spread like fire throughout our entire community
and Pashtuns at long last started to call for unity

Now Pashtuns from all over are uniting
We finally have begun to see things clearly
From our long deep sleep we are quickly waking
That we will be free is a promise we intend to keep
As we all vow never again to go back to sleep

"Unity"

This word is like a myth to Pashtuns
We've all read about it in our history
and the poems of Khushal Khan Baba
But as I look at our pitiful state it seems
those stories were only fanciful dreams

I have yet to see it my very own lifetime
nor did my parents but they tell me tales
of legends of strong kings ang great warriors
about Pashtun men so noble and so brave
ready for Pashtunwali to go to thier grave

Where is our Ahmad Shah Durrani?
where is this generations great leader?
we are like lost sheep in need of a shepard
separated we all will surely lose this fight
for our very survival we must unite!

"Recipe"

The Pashtunkwa is on fire!
Swat is burning!
Do you see the inferno?
Malakand is burning!
Can you smell the smoke?
Pekhawar,Kandahar and Khost are all burning
Do you hear the bomb blasts?
Now every part of the Pashtunkwa is burning!
now every day we see Pashtuns die
and we all silently wonder "Why?"
While our blood is being drunk!
While our flesh is being roasted!
We Pashtuns are being cooked!
We are what is on the dinner plate
of those who have decided our fate!
We ourselves followed their recipe
willingly mixing Islam and militancy!
We let ourselves fall into the cooking pot!
We let ourselves be victims of their plot!
Are we going to give ourselves a good look
and burn this damned cook book?
Or are we going to sit around
and become dessert???????
As I watch the Pashtunkwa burn
I wonder why we never ever learn!
Why we keep on foolishly following
the recipe for our own destruction!

"Friends"

In times of crisis you learn who are your real friends
The Islamic Republic has finally shown her true face
and let it be known clearly where is a Pashtun's place

"Don't come knocking on our door!" shouts Sindh
"Karachi already has more than it's fair share!
We don't want anymore Pashtuns going there!"

"Don't come knocking our our door!" shouts Punjab
"We can't afford any more militants causing fear!
We can't allow anymore Pashtuns to come here!"

Pakistan proudly says "We're raising money for you"
Money that it's unlikely those IDP's will ever see
from a government so corrupt and so greedy

"Keep Remembering"

Look closely at this beautiful Pashtana's sad little face
Her own country sent her to this god-forsaken place

How can we Pashtuns possibly look at this sweet child
and in anger not want to go more than a little bit wild

Can you tell me please what was this innocent child's sin
to deserve this status of less than a second class citizen ?

We Pashtun adults are used to being treated in this way
but for our children do we want things to be the same way?

The Islamic Republic of Pakistan sent her to this awful place
Keep remembering that as you look at her miserable face

"Sweet Little Flower"

Sweet little flower
in the Swat valley you once grew
what will now become of you ?

Sweet little flower
plucked from your beloved home
now in a refugee camp your roam

Sweet little flower
tears like dew falls from your face
you don't belong in such a place

Sweet little flower
please be strong, don't wither away
you'll see your home again, one day

"Honour"

Called a coward!
Called beghairat!
Easy words for you to say
hard words for me to hear
coming not from a stranger
but from the mouth
of one of my own Pashtun brothers
whose apparent heart of stone
has no compassion for others
You say that you have honor
While I have absolutely none
I am not cold like you
I hope you never need to run
I hope you never see your city burn
But if such sorrows ever come your way
with open arms I'd warmly welcome you
from my lips you would never hear me say
You are a coward!
You are beghairat!
For I know what honour really means
and sadly I think you were never taught


***Inshallah someday all Pashtuns will be united but right now there are some among us calling those who left their homes cowards :( It's really very sad :( May Allah soften their hard hearts........Ameen!

"Singing to the Flowers"

The sun was shining
and I was softly singing
on a beautiful Spring day
in my childhood home
the lovely city of Quetta
her majestic mountains
were now my mountains
my home away from home
singing songs of love
shyly, softly singing
singing to the flowers
songs for my soulmate
the girl of my dreams
I was so very happy
singing to the flowers
dreaming of my princess
a rose from Kabul city
alas she is only a dream
and that is such a pity
but yet I keep on singing
on this beautiful spring day
dreaming of my Kabul rose
shyly, softly singing
singing to the flowers

* Inspired by a sweet story an Afghan friend told me of his younger days in Quetta. He's still singing to the flowers and dreaming so I dedicate this to him and pray he finds his rose soon :)

"This Pashtana's Life"

I am someone's future, someone's present, someone's past, someone's today
and to those special someones I have so much to say

I am someone's hope, someone's honour, someone's happiness, someone's heart
and from those special someones I never want to part

I am someone's smiles, someone's laughter, someone's comfort, someone's friend
and for those special someones my love has no end

I am someone's daughter, someone's sister, someone's mom, someone's wife
and for those very special someones I am their life

To all my special someones I pray honour and happiness this Pashtana's life brings
for I am nothing without my special someones for whom this song my heart sings



*dedicated to Zahid Jaan who gave me the honour of making me his older sister :)

"Mourning Mountains"

As I look at these mountains
for a few fleeting moments
I am back home
home with my majestic mountains
but then reality
cruel cold reality
slaps me on my face
these are not my mountains
this is not my land
all that I have left
of my majestic mountains
are my childhood memories
memories engraved upon
my Afghan heart
as I look at these mountains
tears start to fall
tears mourning mountains
and a far away land
I once called home

Appalachian Mountains of Alabama, USA where I live now :(

"Complete Darkness"

Darkness has fallen over the Pashtunkwa
Not even the moon is shinning her light
We can't see anything
Complete darkness
We can't help wondering why
No light is being allowed in
What is being hidden from our eyes
Some unspeakable sin
It won't be the first
nor will it be the last
Until this darkness
is a thing of the past
Complete darkness
until Pashtuns are free
our weary eyes will never see
anything at all except
Complete darkness

"Cheap"

The whole world has gone mad
no where is peace to be found
peace is now the stuff of fairy tales
not a single soul has been left untouched
by the wicked wounds of war
everyone now knows someone
someone senselessly slaughtered
by this murderous madness
this murderous mayhem called war
where the innocent suffer and die
as our so called "civilizations" clash
on this bloody battlefield
in the pretend pursuit of peace
"civilization" is not so civilized
why would they even bother
with the crazy notion of peace
when war is so profitable
and human life is so cheap



* The USA gives $2,000 in compensation for Afghan civilians they "accidentally" kill. Would $2,000 be enough, would any amount be enough to replace your mother, father, brother , sister or friend? :(

"Moorey"

Somehow my Moorey still smiles
despite death and destruction
somehow my Moorey still smiles
there is always hope in her eyes
despite death and destruction
she is my candle in this darkness
hope shines from her lovely eyes
she thinks it is I who am so strong
but it's always been her all along
she is my strength in this long fight
it is my moorey, my sweet moorey
who turns my darkness into light

"Humayan"

Little Humayan Khan always tried to act so tough
but as he looked around the refugee camp that day
tears came to his young eyes and wouldn't go away

That was many years ago and now Humayan is grown
but he has never ever forgotten that dreadful place
and now he is reminded by a little refugee boy's face

Humayan learned a lot being forced to flee his home
that knowledge is the only possession you really keep
and that a Pashtun never knows where he might sleep

Life is a gamble for a Pashtun in Pakistan and Afghanistan
he knows that it's uncertain that he will even see tomorrow
as he remembers what was once his own childhood sorrow



*Dedicated to an Afghan friend living in Pakistan with a heart of a gold and a thirst for knowledge who I admire alot :)

"Innocent Pashtun Children"

Innocent Pashtun children
cute little girls and little boys
with such sleepy sad eyes
missing their favorite toys

Innocent Pashtun children
in camps sit on the ground
sitting by their new tiny tents
they look in disbelief all around

Innocent Pashtun children
forced to grow up way to fast
to learn that life is full of sorrow
wonder how long their sorrow will last

Innocent Pashtun children
it should comes as no surprise
to see these beautiful babies
so sad bring tears to all our eyes


* Let's do all we can for our beautiful Pashtun children and their families.

"When you're a Pashtun"

When you're a Pashtun
there's a price on your head
Altaf Hussain's MQM
America and her allies
Pakistan and her army
the Northern Alliance
all want to see you dead

When you're a Pashtun
your very own politicians
don't care if pashtuns bleed
driven by money, power and greed
they live only by one simple rule
they just want their pockets kept full

When you're a Pashtun
there's no safe place to be
shot just sitting in your car
American's bombing your home
Pakistani army attacking your town
suicide bombers in your market place
there's no such thing as safety

when you're a Pashtun
labeled terrorists and Taliban
you are lucky just to survive
since nobody wants you alive


*Dedicated to all Pashtana killed in this genocide against us. May God grant them all paradise. Ameen!

Pashtuns killed by MQM in Karachi on May 12, 2007. Recently there has been a wave of murders of Pashtuns in Karachi. Let's pray this May 12 will be uneventful as the situation is very tense in Karachi these days.

A Pashtun tribesman stands near a damaged car after it was hit during an attack by Pakistani security forces in North Waziristan tribal region, August 10, 2007. The Pakistani army killed up to a dozen Pashtun "militants" in North Waziristan that day along with some women and children.

Gardez, Afghanistan - A man mourns at the graves of a wedding party, killed by American bombs by mistake.

The Northern Alliance massacred hundreds of Pashtuns in Mazar-e-Sharif as revenge in 2001.

"Until we are all on the same page"

Until we are all on the same page
Learn from our history that we must unite
ours is a sad story for the world to write

Until we are all on the same page
Of our suffering the newspapers will write
as we Pashtuns will keep losing this fight

Until we are all on the same page
We are destined to repeat the same old story
as we do nothing but dream of past glory

We complain and yet to nothing to help ourselves. Afsoos! :(

"If hell has levels......."

If hell has levels it seems we are on the ground floor
There's no further down for us to go any more

Every day we Pashtuns see hell before our very eyes
and every night we are haunted by the cries

The cries of those Pashtuns trapped inside a living hell
Those poor souls who pray they will live to tell

Tell us that the only way to end our hell is for us to unite
Only then will this dark hell begin to see any light

Together we can climb out of this living hell floor by floor
Until none of us are trapped in hell any more

"How Can I Ever Forget"

I still remember how I was feeling that day
Though it was so many, many years ago
The pain in my Afghan heart has yet to go
It was the only time I saw my plaar jaan cry
and looking back now I can understand why

I didn't want to tell him I felt so very afraid
As we crossed over the border we all cried
A piece of all of us there had suddenly died
For a moment we were all united by our grief
Hoping that our stay from home would be brief

When I see history repeating itself again
These memories become too much to bare
All this pain in my heart I have to share
As I see these Pashtun children on my tv
How Can I ever forget that was once me

Look at the fear in their eyes :(

Imagine what they must be feeling :(

"Taliban Justice"

I want to be free to sing along to my favorite song
I don't want to worry about being accused of wrong
Then be dragged into some highly public place
Where silent spectators will watch my disgrace
With no trial the Taliban's verdict will be in
and I will be publicly beaten for my sin
My sin of listening to my favorite song
This is the world to which we belong
A world full of terror and despair
A world seemingly beyond repair
The world of Taliban justice

A member of the Taliban's religious police beating a woman in Kabul in 2001 while a little child watches :(

"Guilt"

When I see the suffering of Pashtuns
Of myself I feel so very ashamed
about how much I have complained

All these years I've been so spoiled
But in this heart of mine I knew
I should be in my watan suffering too

I need to believe that my people know
know how much I worry and care
But that does nothing for their despair

Now whenever I pass by the mirror
I don't want to look at my face
For I feel like I have failed my race

I am a tortured and lost Pashtun soul
living in a prison that I myself built
made brick by brick from my own guilt

"Red Balloon"

I saw a photograph today
of a little blond Pashtana
who reminded me of me
I wondered looking at her
How life would be now
If my family had stayed
She looks so very happy
holding her red balloon
I cannot even remember
The last time I felt happy
I feel lost in this alien land
Maybe I need a red balloon
not a little red balloon but
a giant red hot air balloon
to take me back to my home
So that I can be happy too
Happy and smiling like her
That little blond Pashtana
Who could have been me
Playing with my red balloon

"As I look today"

As I look today at the Pashtunkwa all around
still Khushal Khan Khattak Baba's words ring true
That among Afghans worthless men abound
and good ones's like emerald's are very few

Our sad state of affairs is indeed a pitiful shame
Pashtuns it seems will soon all be Wahabi slaves
And we have only our own ignorance to blame
As daily Pashtun suicide bombers head to graves

Our Pashtun culture is soon going to be lost
Selling our souls to Arab friends in disguise
This generation will pay a very heavy cost
Maybe someday Pashtuns will open their eyes

Inshallah I will live to see all Pashtuns be free
From this evil version of Islam called Wahabi

Taliban publicly execute a woman November 17, 1999.Afterward from the crowd several people shouted "God is great."The stadium was packed with men and women, many of whom had brought their children.

"On the road of sorrows"

On the road of sorrows
people gathered around
their bags are all packed
waiting in turn for buses
their destination unknown

On the road of sorrows
little children are crying
their parents are worrying
that this might be the end
end of the life they knew

On the road of sorrows
everyone has their reason
reason for leaving home
nobody wants to be here
on the road of sorrows

So many Pashtana have
been down this road before
on this same road of sorrows
some will never ever return
Since we never ever learn

Residents were flooding out of the Swat valley in Pakistan by the thousands on Tuesday.

"Exodus"

Hamid Gul, his wife and daughter
are at their lovely home in Mingora
They don't really want to leave
But they also don't want to die
Hamid Gul and his wife decide to flee
A choice nobody should have to make
Now they have to decide what to take
When her mother tells her that
she is allowed to take only one doll
His little daughter starts to cry
She's way too little to understand
Why she's having to leave her toys behind
and she has a hard time making up her mind
Crying she asks her mor and her plaar
"Why are we leaving ou home?
Where are we all going to live?"
With a few tears in his worried eyes
Hamid Gul hugs her tight as he replies
"We are going so that we will survive
and to keep you, my daughter alive"

Always the children suffer most :(

"Prove me Wrong"

You tell me you support the taliban
You support some sort of fantasy
These men are not holy warriors
They are thieves and barbarians
Who destroy all which they find
Whose coward leaders hide behind
The Holy Quran

What if they kidnapped your friend
Would you still support the Taliban
As your friend's mother and wife cry
Praying that your friend doesn't die
Killed for no holy reason, no need
Other than some evil mullah's greed


How can you justify their behavior
Show me the truth if I am wrong
About terrorism and kidnapping
are they written in our holy book
I want you to go and take a look
Prove me wrong......if you can

Taliban militants prepare to execute two men in Bajur, having accused them of helping the United States to carry out a missile strike. One of the men was decapitated.

"Conspiracy"

When I hear all these stories
of fake Taliban
CIA Taliban
ISI Taliban
RAW Taliban
I don't know what's to believed
Is there really a huge conspiracy?
Are Pashtuns really being deceived?
Someone told me after one fake died
They found him to be uncircumcised
Some say they are here only as an excuse
An excuse for the West to come kill us all
Some say they are here to give Islam a bad name
Whatever the reason, all I know is that it's a shame
It's a shame that day after day more Pashtuns die
And we may never know the real reason why
All I know is that I sit here confused
As to why my people are being used
And I see no end to our suffering in sight
but rather only the beginning of a long fight

Who are they really?

"Naveed Khan"

Naveed Khan lives with his family in Karachi
but In the Pashtunkwa is where he wishes to be
His prays every day for peace in his Motherland
He's only fourteen but even he can understand
The need to do something
Something more than pray
As more and more die everyday

Naveed Khan inshallah, will spread the word
and make the voices of the suffering heard
For in this struggle we must all play a part
We must give our money, time and heart
Naveed knows he must do something
Something more than pray
As more and more die everyday

He knows it's our duty to our Motherland to at least try
If we Pashtuns keep doing nothing, even more will die
That our people's blood will be on our hands
even a fourteen year old boy understands

Sunset in the background of a Mosque in Karachi, Pakistan.

"Masam"

Masam gazes into the distance
Gazes at his Motherland
who has been raped
raped by so many
She has seen her children killed
She has seen her children flee
Sometimes it seems so hopeless
That there is no end to her misery

Masam sees in the distance
A little bit of light
A tiny glimmer of hope
that someday in his Motherland
His people will finally learn
That her honour will again return
Sometimes it seems so hopelesss
But Peace is something we must earn

"Roshina"

We were given our eyes to see
Yet they are closed to this misery
If actions speak louder
louder than just words
What do OUR actions say?
As we Pashtuns sleep another day

Nobody is safe
safe in their home
For the world it seems
Pashtun blood is so cheap
Yet we are still half asleep
How much death will it take
To make Pashtuns awake?

Roshina felt safe
safe in her home
then she heard the planes
they were flying over head
then missiles were fired
Now little Roshina is dead

On Friday 22 August 2008 USA forces ordered an airstrike on the village of Azizabad which is located in Shindand district, Herat Province, Afghanistan. Many civilians were killed during the attack including this little girl :( A Taliban commander was the intended target of the airstrike.

"Helpless"

You say you are helpless
You say you can do nothing
I say you should be ashamed
You are not helpless
You can do something
Open your eyes
Look at the orphan
Look at the widow
Look at the poor
Look at the injured
They are the helpless
They can do nothing

You are not helpless
You have the power
the power to make a difference
If only you do something
Open up your heart
Help the orphan
Help the widow
Help the poor
Help the injured
Help yourself
Heal your anguished heart
And Give thanks to Allah
That you are not one of the helpless

"They ask you (O Muhammad) what they should spend in charity. Say: 'Whatever you spend with a good heart, give it to parents, relatives, orphans, the helpless, and travellers in need. Whatever good you do, God is aware of it.'" - The Holy Quran, 2:215