Can'T I Have A Homeland To Call My Own? Poem by Taslima Nasrin
Can'T I Have A Homeland To Call My Own?
Am I so dangerous a criminal, so vicious an enemy of humanity,
Such a traitor to my country that I can't have a homeland to call my own?
So that my land will snatch away from the rest of my life my homeland?
Blindly from the northern to the southern hemisphere,
Through mountains and oceans and rows and rows of trees,
Blindly in the heavens, in the moon, in the mists and in sunshine,
Blindly groping through grass and creepers and shrubs, earth and mankind, I have gone
Searching for my homeland.
Once I had exhausted the world, I touched the shores
Of my homeland to exhaust my span of life,
Only to have the sense of security of an utterly exhausted thirsty soul
Brutally uprooted, and you throw away the little water cupped in my hand,
And sentence me to death, what name can I have for you, land?
You stand on my chest like an enormous mountain,
You stamp on my throat with your legs in boots,
You have gouged out my eyes,
You have drawn my tongue out and snapped it into pieces,
You have lashed and bloodied my body, broken both my legs,
You have pulverized my toes, prized open my skull to squash my brain,
You have arrested me, so that I die,
Yet I call you my homeland, call you with infinite love.
I've uttered a few home truths, hence I am a traitor to my homeland.
I'm a traitor because you've chosen to walk shoulder to shoulder with liars in procession.
You've warned me with raised fingers to give a damn to humanity,
And whatever else I may have or not, I can't have a homeland to call my own.
My land, you dug into my heart and hacked out of my life my own homeland.
[This poem was written while Taslima was forced to live in confinement in an undisclosed location in Delhi from 22 November 2007 to 19 March 2008. Samik Bandapadahya translated this poem from her book PRISONERS POEMS]
all were your all are your all will be your just time is a being of sufferings and understanding for everyone this is earth variety of ferocious and pacification hugs everyone oddly All will be your; just time is fact..................
Your struggle and pain will not go unrewarded poet. Someday, somewhere you will inspire millions.
One needs not to be called a traitor if only she wants to utter what's wrong in her surrounds. A citizen may have the freedom to mention the truth and what's wrong in her society. A huge burden for women especially, the power of the mullahs used only for own benefit, no one dares to criticize them, and she did and she is called a traitor. What's wrong with her society, her country? ! Dr. Taslima Nasrin I congratulate you with this poem that has won The Modern Poem Of The Day.
so sad dear.. but reign in the heart of the people.. good 10 the country of your choice Thursday,30th July 2020 the world has taken note already and care too shall be taken for safety live and spend your time happily make the country of your choice as residence Dr. Hasmukh Mehta
it's great grief for the motherland that the owner still does not know the real and true patriot. I think everyone knew and knows also that Who was and is TASLIMA NASRIN for the Bangladesh, the unlucky inhabitant of Bangladesh we are that we are still unable to greet the one of great philanthropic writer of the world. I think it's very near when our peoples will know it but in that time we will lose the great one who always thinks for us and our welfare.
Once I had exhausted the world, I touched the shores Of my homeland to exhaust my span of life, Only to have the sense of security of an utterly exhausted thirsty soul Brutally uprooted, and you throw away the little water cupped in my hand, And sentence me to death, what name can I have for you, land? ......heart touching expression;
Very touching indeed when you can't call your home home while living with truth being banished from your land......so beautifully scripted....10++
Dr. Taslima Nasrin wrote amongst others in her poem above: I've uttered a few home truths, hence I am a traitor to my homeland. I'm a traitor because you've chosen to walk shoulder to shoulder with liars in procession Till I read her poems, now I know how the mullahs in her society in reality are.True hypocrites.
WHY may she not live in her own homeland? After all she can be useful to her own society because she is a doctor like her father, or ought she to be a man to utter all the things she did? She has written about the evils of her society, uncovered the hypocrisy of the mullahs and their followers, and we know she has said the truth about the mullahs. All hypocrisy!
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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4/24/2024 9:04:51 PM # 1.0.0.1119
The poet lives a life in exile away from her homeland because she has written the evils of her society, uncovered the hypocrisy of the mullahs and their followers.who don't want to listen to anything incriminating or critical to them. The poem shows the poet's desperation and anguish for having been denied a dignified life. Great poem. Thanks. .....an utterly exhausted thirsty soul Brutally uprooted.... And sentence me to death, I've uttered a few home truths, hence I am a traitor to my homeland.