My Child, Forgive Me

 My Child, Forgive Me

I carried you in silence,
a secret blooming in my soul—
two weeks of love,
two weeks of hope,
two weeks that changed my world.

Your father never knew you,
not the way I did.
Your grandmother's voice was louder
than my aching heart—
she forbade your name,
your presence,
your light.

He wanted you, I knew,
but when I whispered your truth,
his silence echoed louder
than I ever feared.
Two days later,
you left me.

Inside my womb,
you faded—
not by nature,
but by cruelty.
Not by fate,
but by hate.

O my baby,
you were the fruit of love
born in chaos.
And still, I loved you
more than I ever thought possible.

I tried—
with every breath,
with every prayer.
But I could not shield you
from their shadows.

Forgive me, my child,
for the world you never met,
for the arms that never held you,
for the lullabies I only sing in tears.

You were here.
You mattered.
You are loved.

Always.

                             KULSOOM AFZAL