Do Sing My Darling Daughter (To The Three Daughters Whose Smile And Song Was Dubbed A Crime) Poem by Nida Nawaz

Don’t feel scared my little darling
Learn instead
The skill of converting fear
Into a melodious tune
Then sing to it and smile
Smile your brightest smile, darling
Smile
For the sake of your own happiness
Smile
For the fulfillment of your own dreams
And smile even for those
Who hate to see you smile
Who fear for their ill-structured flimsy concepts
As the energetic flow of you song
Takes over
How anxious they are
To push you back into the dungeons of stone age
You mean nothing to them
Nothing but
The bitter, blinding smoke of an earthen stove
The crumpled cover of a mattress
And a child bearing contraption
They want to see your wings clipped
They want to see you deprived
Of your smiles, songs and dreams
You shouldn’t lose your heart though
You shouldn’t give in my darling
You should smile your brightest smile
And smiling thus
Let out a high pitched song
Of love, humanity and universe
And singing thus
Aim for the farthest stars
And for the largest galaxies
And for the uncharted heavens
Because you, my darling
Are a beautiful little butterfly
Who can fly well
Against all rough winds.
(transcreated by Ashfaq Lone)