This work was first published in Spread the Word’s Young Writers Collective Anthology, 2025. This anthology stands as a testament to the courage, creativity, and growth of a remarkable group of young poets who have spent seven months exploring the power of language and self-expression. The anthology is more than a collection of poems—it is a celebration of emerging voices, of stories told with boldness and vulnerability.
All of the poems can be read here on our website, or you can download the Young Writer’s Collective Anthology to read as a PDF.
Evergreen by Husna Memon
Bouncing boundaries and flimsy faith, Ma condones again.
Reconciling. For his love, we freely atone again.
Ruthless rainfall inebriates the earth, shaken and stirred.
Sarah’s wandering gaze – betrayed, we turn to stone again.
Early morning calls filled with steep words and shallow talk.
Red card. Green passport. Her last words haunting – please phone again.
Wrists bound by garlands of jasmine and unbroken cycles.
Keeping to tradition by procreating to clone again.
Autonomy ignored. Opinions rebutted. Parents
keep forgetting their evergreen babies are grown again.
Candle-less cakes. Vacant gift boxes. Balloons filled with yester
-days complaints. Instead of hope, she dares score wishbones again.
Commotion reverberates through floorboards and skin; cracked walls
and duvets. Seeking solace, she puts on headphones again.
Losing myself to the sea within. No contacts to be
my lifeline – I, alone, must tackle the unknown again.
About Husna Memon
Husna Memon (they/she) is a London-based artist, educator and poet. They are interested in exploring the intersectional experiences of bodies in the diaspora in their practices. Their poetry addresses topics and themes of language, migration, identity and belonging. Husna has a BA (Hons) in Fine Art & Art History from Kingston University.