Heaven is Hell

This is about the Taliban. I wrote it in 2001 for my students.

Heaven is Hell

 

(on November 13^th 2001, following the Taliban retreat from Kabul, music was heard in the city for the first time in five years)

 

Picture a man who

Shaves in the morning

Has a laugh at work

Enjoys a pint of beer

Sings at parties

Listens to music on the radio

Reads the latest novels

Plays the odd game of chess

Is engaged to a girl in a mini-skirt

And has a photo of his mum on the wall.

 

Mr Normal, Mr Well Balanced, Mr Decent?

 

Wrong:

He is Satan

And the world he lives in is hell

Taliban Hell.

 

Because the Taliban version of heaven

Is a desert

Full of bearded men

Who clothe their women from head to toe in black sheets

Deny them education

Treat them as cattle;

Who never laugh

And never sing

And scorn all music;

Who only read one book;

Who have outlawed chess

And shaving

And alcohol

And pictures of any living things.

 

In the Taliban world

Life itself is an outlaw

A dirty dog to be hunted down.

 

In the Taliban world

Heaven is hell.

Reviews

[Kat]

This is a really different way to look at it. I honestly had never put that together in my head before. It is very eye opening. Thank you for that! Amazing work, keep writing my friend!