Cranford Review 2021

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FIRST STORY
Hands off my Hijab
The blistering sun scorches my back
as I scramble away,
Scurrying to escape the hateful glares
directed at me.
Their judgemental eyes are fixated upon me,
I don’t feel like I belong in my own community.
Run, Nancy – they don’t want you here.
They don’t like you and your identity.
Run, Nancy – you don’t belong here.
They don’t want you and your individuality.
Fear and anxiety overwhelm me,
I ponder: What have I done wrong?
My frightened legs begin to flee,
I wonder: What’s to hate about my hijab?
In the day and age where modesty is to be feared,
I question the world I live in.
The world in which covering your body
results in sneers
Is a grotesque reality full of misery?
Society’s expectations pressure me to veer
From my faith and the beliefs which I hold dear.
To be frowned upon and despised by peers
Makes practicing my religion hard to bear.
To conceal my hair and body empowers me,
However, mankind paints a contrasting image
Of oppression, restriction and captivity.
But this is not what the religion of Islam preaches!
Freedom and liberty are the sensations I feel
when wearing my hijab:
Freedom and liberty from the barbaric beast
of body criticism,
Freedom and liberty from the sadistic swine
of sexualisation,
Freedom and liberty from the pernicious predator
of patriarchy.
How can a civilisation be so corrupt?
To transform a symbol of peace into one
so malicious?
The ignorant view the hijab in disgust –
But how can something so innocuous be viewed
as flagitious?
I scurry until my legs can bear no more,
The booming sun strangles my trembling skin,
Familiar shrieks and howls of ‘terrorist’ roar,
I cry – this is a war us Muslims will never win.
Nancy Harkous (year 10)
Summer Memories
I remember,
The scorching sun trickling its rays across my body,
The sounds of birds singing their cheerful melodies,
Flowers which were painted
all the colours of the rainbow,
The still, glass lake decorated
with lily pads and leaves from trees.
I remember,
I raced with Maria on the obstacle course,
And felt afraid when we reached the top.
The refreshing feeling of the orange flavoured
ice-lolly,
And the sweet tingles it brought to my taste
buds with each bite.
I remember,
We climbed up the lush, green northern hills,
The sun’s heat pulled me back and
made it harder to climb,
I almost slipped many times,
But when we reached the top,
the view was beautiful.
I remember,
The warm grass welcomed our picnic,
We laid food on a brightly coloured blanket,
And ate sweet strawberries and savoury burgers,
Tangy juice exploded with flavour.
I remember,
The towering trees which brought us shade,
Their lush arms made roofs over our heads,
Emerald leaves danced in the wind,
Some fluttered down onto the ground.
I remember,
The sun beginning to set,
The journey back with the new memories
we’d made,
How tired I was after such a long day,
And how excited I was to finally get some rest.
That was in summer 2020 and now we’re in 2021,
I can’t wait to get another summer
away from school,
So I can relax and have some fun,
It might take a while, but it’ll be worth the wait,
With the pandemic taking over the year,
Hopefully, summer won’t come too late.
74
Iman Kabanda (year 10)