For Gulfisha Fatima

“These walls... have been standing
silent far too long,” you write

It’s true, it’s been too long and
the walls that keep you from us
are solid and silent; it is true that
when they crumble from the burden
of injustices long borne, long neglected
new walls are erected but hear us
hear us, Gulfisha – for you, we
raise our voices together in protest
we send you our songs, our poems
your poems, so you can hear how
they sound in the voices of those
who believe in you, who believe in you
and all those who spoke up, all those
who stood up against the dark forces
that hate love, fear equality and
want everyone to see the world as
splintered as they do.
Write more, Gulfisha Fatima
we hear you and send you our words
for the walls, however tall, cannot
keep our words and voices from meeting.



Note: It has been five years since Gulfisha Fatima was arrested for protesting the proposed CAA legislation and her bail plea has been pending for the last three years. Read this article for more context.