Women Poetry: Ms. Shafinur Shafin, Bangladesh

Exclusive: Women Poetry: Edited by Padmaja Iyengar-Paddy

Shafinur Shafin

GASLIGHTING

They say, “cover your hair! They are so misleading!”

She says, “how does my hair mislead you!

You powerful man, can’t you ignore my hair?”

They say, “No! We get tempted, we become weak

Seeing these snaky hairs! We feel as if Satan calling us

with his illusive voice- trying to feed us forbidden fruit

We believe it’s no one but you- women 

Having a sinned body and beauty with slutty smile

Yes, whenever we see you smile at us-

 we know you must be a slut 

Are you not ashamed of yourself!?”

They started pelting stones on us

Is it the way they make our body bloody-sinned

With forever rules and punishment? 

THE SONG MEDUSA SINGS EVERYDAY

How many days have we made a mistake

Thinking life will be a simple one if we are in love!

One day I will stop knocking your door

This fear will wake you up in the evening

I water the trees.

The tea tray comes, the biscuit pieces

Fall to the bottom of the cup

The calling bell rings, door opens

Enters the noise of love 

As mundane

Where it hides 

You crave sleep

And me- my survival

Shafinur Shafin from Bangladesh is an English and Bangla poet and translator, and an academic. She has a poetry collection and a translation work to her credit. Her Bangla poems have been translated into several languages. Shafinur is the poetry-editor of an e-zine Prachya Review. As she cannot paint, she attempts to create image with the power of words. Her English poems have been included in two anthologies published from New York and Philippines, and also her poems and interviews have appeared in several national and international magazines. She has successfully organized Prachya Review’s first virtual poetry event in June, 2020 in collaboration with Tong-Ghor Talkies. 

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