Afghan Women Poets

I write poetry.  I’ve been doing it since high school.  I written about 300 poems and have had exactly two published. 

Today I read the article in the New York Times Magazine entitled “Why Afghan women risk death to write poetry.”  Think about that.  Brave women in Afghanistan risk death to write poetry.  I’d give it up, but they continue to write--and die.

There are times I think American troops should just be pulled out of that country.  Leave the fanatics and extremists to their own devices.  Then I read about a poet who died after setting herself on fire, and I think, those women need our help.  

I don’t even know where I stand on Afghanistan. I can see no positive outcome no matter what U.S. policy is.