Mahsa Amini - Gone But Will Never Be Forgotten Poem by Bernedita Rosinha Pinto

Sometimes in the quest for freedom
sometimes in the search for equality
women venture out with fearlessness
as they want to advocate their liberties;

they do not expect death or violence
they do not expect hatred and discord
as they walk out to reform the impositions
they want to feel free in their independence
they want to endorse the future with freedom;

And as death comes to those who roll in crime and rivalry
and not to those who seek transformation and dignity;
life bears many obligations and perhaps she was determined
to bring the race called women to walk with pride
and with true identity of their existence as women
who should live and breathe freely in those streets
of their cities and neighbourhoods;

as when they were children they have played alongside
their homes as innocent children
and when they have grown up as women
they are still the daughters and sisters of that household
which respects the daughters and sisters of other households;

Mahsa was that daughter of Iran so young and pretty
but she never expected to die for wearing the hijab partially;
so how could a hijab take away the life
of an innocent woman called Mahsa who felt
it was her day to walk out in the open fields of reality
not expecting to sleep in that niche
where malice would place her to
unexplainable brutality and perpetual silence;

was it worth the uprising by just one woman
when today so many more walked to pledge their solidarity
for that one woman who was their voice and their courage
to do what they wanted to do
or will time never change what has been long lost
that women will never ever get to enjoy
their liberties with dignity?