Three Poems By
Jikra Nawar Jarin
Fear of Shadow
When thoughts turn into shadows,
They crawl across my pillow,
Whispering everything I don’t want to hear,
Louder than silence, deeper than night.
My mind is a maze with no exits,
Every thought echoes—
“Did I do it wrong?”
“What if they hate me?”
“Why can’t I forget?”
I try to sleep,
But sleep fears me now—
Like I fear the dark,
Not for what’s in it,
But for what I bring into it.
My own shadow grows long,
Fed by overthinking,
Each step I take
Feels like I’m walking in reverse.
This is not drama.
This is collapse
A mind locked in loops,
Where cleaning a thought
Only dirties another.
And still,
In the stillest moments,
I scream without sound—
Afraid,
Of nothing…
But myself.
S.S.C
Just a test?
Look again.
It takes young lives
in silent pain.
Suicides rise,
hopes collapse.
Minds go numb
in pressure traps.
Foolish world,
how blind you are—
to crush a child
and call it “star.”
At thirteen,
they break apart.
You test the brain,
but kill the heart.
Just one word—
“You failed”—they hear.
No hands to hold,
just shame and fear.
Where were you
when they cried?
When they chose
to say goodbye?
One word from mom,
one hug from dad,
could save the soul
they never had.
Just one line—
“I believe in you.”
Not marks, not ranks,
just love that’s true.
Tell your child,
not just in pride—
when they fall,
stand by their side.
Say it loud,
and say it plain:
“You’re worth more
than any grade or name.”
Dear world,
don’t let it be too late.
A child’s life
is not up for debate
Not a report card,
not a score—
Your child’s life
is so much more.
Dear parents,
dear kin,
say this again—
“I believe in you,
through every pain
Blades of Words
Not all knives draw blood, you see,
Some are words, sharp secretly.
Wrapped in smiles, they pierce the soul,
Leaving wounds that take their toll.
Sleep escapes and hunger dies,
From just a phrase, not swords or knives.
No one sees the silent ache,
Hidden deep in every break.
“They didn’t bleed,” the people say,
“So the pain should go away.”
But words can cut in deeper ways,
Leaving scars that never fade.
Metal heals when time has passed,
But words—how long do their wounds last?
We smile and laugh, hide all the pain,
And quietly drown in a silent rain.
