I loathe the cage in the corner of the garden.
A cage hangs in an antique shop.
The cage of neglect since the birth of my first child.
I detest the cage of conservatism that weakens the spirit.
The cage that confines a wounded woman within her troubled mind.
As a child—bright as the backyard sunflower—I wept the first time I saw a cage full of beautiful doves.
Unspoken,
Frightened,
I realised the sad side of humankind.
Shahla Latifi
March 2025