Biography and two poems by Tasneem Hossain
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BIOGRAPHY AND TWO POEMS BY TASNEEM HOSSAIN
Tasneem Hossain, majoring in English Language and Literature, is a multi-lingual poet from Bangladesh. She writes poems in English, Urdu and Bengali. She is also a columnist, fiction and op-ed writer, translator, educator, and trainer.
Her impactful writings appear frequently in esteemed publications worldwide like: Human Rights Art Movement, Wordsmith International Editorial, Southern Arizona Press, MockingOwl Roost, Setu, Pen magazine, Valiant Scribe, Prodigy Magazine (USA), Borderless Journal (Singapore), Discover Mississauga and More-eBook, (Canada), Dark Thirty Poetry Publishing, Krishnochura (UK), Polis Magazino, Homo Universal (Greece), Borderless Journal (Singapore) Worvid and Homagi International Magazines (Indonesia), INNSÆI Journal, Cultural Reverence, MicroPoetry Cosmos, The Fatehpur Resolution, Raft of Dreams, PuspoPravat (India), Sindh Courier (Pakistan), Orfeu.al (Kosovo), Alessandria Today (Italy), Atunis Galaxy Poetry (Belgium), Gazeta Destinacioni (Albania), Life (Abu Dhabi), Barcelona-Adabia (Spain), CTHOTEM Revista Cultural (Argentina), Raven Cage, Raseef 81(Germany), Antiquities and Classique (Algiria), Friendship of People N92024 EDAS Chronicle, The Dhaka Literature, An Ekushey Anthology, Pencraft International, Kavya Kishore, The Global Nation, bdnews24.com, The Daily Star, The Business Standard, Asian Age Online, Daily Observer (Bangladesh).
She has achieved a number of awards for outstanding literary contribution to World Literature.
Her poems have been translated in seven languages; and published in 29 countries in literary journals worldwide. She has been interviewed on several literary platforms for her contributions to world literature.
Several of her articles and poems are utilised as teaching material in universities and academies across various countries; some have been referenced in university research papers.
She runs an international poetry writing project and group named Life in Lyrics.
She is an author of three poetry books: ‘Grass in Green,’ ’The Pearl Necklace,’ ‘Floating Feathers’ and a book of articles ‘Split and Splice’. Four more books are currently in progress.
Poetry, to her, is music through words; an ever-flowing river reflecting all that surrounds us.
As an author, she tries to spread message of love, hope, mercy; and tries create an awareness of social responsibilities and human rights.
As an op-ed writer, she has written more than 130 articles. Some of her articles are used as teaching material in countries like China.
She served as a faculty member of Business English at Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology. Currently, she is the director of the prominent human resource development
organization, Continuing Education Centre (Bangladesh), and Cansaz Services and Distribution LLC (Canada). With 27 years of experience, she is a highly regarded Business English language and Communication Management trainer.
She actively participates in sports whenever the opportunity arises. For 10 years, she worked as a newscaster, commentary reader, and radio presenter for Radio Bangladesh. She has also directed plays, including Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’.
MOTHERS OF THE EARTH
I sow the seeds; I nurture the ground.
I water the plant for bountiful sprouts.
This land is mine, here I fully survive.
When herbage abounds, I fully thrive.
They come to claim and deprive
Me, of my freedoms and rights;
Of what I have brought to life.
They fake my true identity.
They burn me, they fake my cursed infidelity.
I bleed, I lose my sanity.
I nurture and I give birth to all that grows.
I won’t let anything rot;
I am the mistress of this field.
This ground is now my battlefield.
Come, if you may, with swords or guns.
Remember, I won’t cry and run;
I will rise from the depths of the land,
The land, that you have made into my grave.
Stop you from taking away what’s not yours.
I am the mistress of my own.
Goddess of the land – Tellus, Gaea, Ceres, Diana and Artemis;
Taking the form of Amanda, Amy, Hannah. Leena,
Susan West, Anna Baldwin;
Become today’s Bellona, Athena ready to win.
Let’s rise against the beastly beasts.
Save our produce from hyena’s teeth.
Nothing can stop our united screams,
Together we will break the grass and glass ceiling.
This land is ours, no one can steal,
If together we stand with zest and zeal.
Together we will overcome the ordeal.
Together we can make this a heavenly field.
Rise O’ woman!
Let our screams resonate;
As we walk the fields on our journey to heal.
(for the farmer women- first published in The Daily Star, Bangladesh)
I AM A PROSTITUTE
Dazzling a smile, through cheap lipstick I wink,
making the onlookers drool and blink.
Adorned in tight skirts with slits,
low necked blouse and tight fitted jeans,
painted nails with matching high heels.
Let the lechers know what I mean.
Don’t care what others may think,
I am a ‘leper’ or a ‘dirty chick’.
Drenched in strong perfume, I let the beggars beg.
Drown in oblivion, I take too many pegs.
Crying in the rain, filled with filth.
Washing away my so-called sins and silt.
O you great passersby!
Don’t you dare judge me or even try,
for little do you know how I came here and why.
I was for them just a costly good to supply.
However much I shriek or cry,
here my freedom is denied.
These are not the choices I have made,
I am a slave of human trade.
