2026 Memory Contest Runner Up
Dil Soz—
the one whose heart burns for others
when witnessing their pain.
Harder than a rock
more fragile than a rose.
In the beloved’s absence
love fades and grows—
I enter my mother’s room at three am
find her praying on the jainamaz
open palms held towards the heavens, eyes closed
her face glistens and glows
in the faint lamp’s shadows.
When she lost my father
this is the life she chose.
One of fasting, prayer,
retreating from the world
and all its short-lived pleasures.
Her heart burns at others’ suffering
even as she keeps her own grief close.
She refuses to relinquish the memory
of how much he loved her
Even after four decades
refuses to be called his widow—
Homa Mojadidi is an Afghan American poet and translator. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in Asymptote, Washington Square Review, South Carolina Review, Beloit Poetry Journal, Northwest Review, Calyx, Gulf Stream, Anomalous Press, Blue Mountain Review, Mudlark, One Art, Beyond Words Literary, and Arcana Poetry Anthology. Her work explores the themes of loss, exile, memory, and mysticism. Homa has an M.A. in English Literature from the University of North Florida and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing with a concentration in poetry from George Mason University.