The Girls We Used To Be - By Maisha Khan

Written By: Maisha Khan

Category: Poetry

Competition: Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026

In the evocative poem "The Girls We Used To Be," Maisha Khan offers a poignant exploration of youthful innocence and the gradual shaping of identity. Entered in the Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026 hosted by Hashtag Kalakar, this piece resonates with a reflective depth that invites readers to contemplate the passage of time and the subtle transformations of self. Khan's work captures the essence of childhood memories and their enduring impact, making it a notable entry in this prestigious competition.

About the Work

Maisha Khan's poem is a delicate interplay of nostalgia and introspection, capturing the innocence of youth through vivid imagery and lyrical grace. The work weaves a narrative of change, contrasting the carefree spirit of childhood with the complexities of adulthood. Through gentle yet profound language, Khan reflects on the universal journey of self-discovery and adaptation, evoking a sense of longing for untainted simplicity. Her use of metaphor and rhythmic cadence underscores the emotional resonance of revisiting who we once were.

The Girls We Used To Be

Original Submission by Maisha Khan

In first grade, the world was mercifully small -

sunlight pooling on tiles, the air thick with chalk,

and the girl beside me, sugar clinging to her palms,

would break her sweet without a thought,

pressing the larger piece into my hand

as though giving had never required being taught.

There was a girl with plaits that never obeyed,

slipping loose from the architecture of her hair,

she moved like something joy had carelessly made,

all scuffed knees and laughter flung into the air-

she did not yet know how to make herself smaller,

did not yet understand the discipline of care.

Another, her voice a continuous spilling-over,

sentences tumbling faster than breath could restrain,

she wrote in the margins like a quiet conspirator,

as though language itself ran warm in her veins-

nothing within her had learnt hesitation,

nothing had tasted the elegance of constraint.

One stayed close, not loudly, but wholly,

a presence that settled without asking to be seen,

she laughed like something half-kept, half-holy,

soft as a secret, but stubbornly keen-

she did not vanish, not even in silence,

she simply existed-unquestioned, serene.

And one, who noticed the tremor beneath every word,

who carried a stillness too lucid to name,

she felt what was hidden, what went unheard,

held the world gently, as though it might break-

there was a depth in her no one had asked for,

yet she bore it without learning to ache.

We were not curated then,

we did not edit the volume of our delight,

did not measure our bodies against unseen laws,

did not rehearse how to sit, how to write-

we existed in excess, in error, in flame.

untouched by the slow invention of shame.

And then-

not suddenly. never suddenly.

just a quiet succession of almost-invisible shifts,

like light withdrawing from the edges of things,

until even familiarity felt like a myth.

The girl with sugared hands grew careful with hunger.

what once was instinct became negotiation-

she learned to divide herself into smaller answers,

to equate absence with some form of salvation-

her laughter will flickers, but faintly, as though

even joy must submit to calculation.

The hair-plaited girl-once reckless, uncontained-

now moves with a precision that borders on restraint,

her eyes have acquired a language of measurement,

quietly tracing what should be concealed, what should faint-

where freedom once lived in the looseness of her stride,

not judgement lingers, deliberate and quaint.

The girl of untethered, ungoverned speech

has softened herself into something composed,

her thoughts no longer impatient to reach,

but filtered, refines, meticulously closed-

as though too much truth, if left uncontained,

might unravel the version of her she has posed.

The soft, constant presence has learned how to lessen,

to fold her existence into the background’s demand,

she offers herself in increasingly smaller confessions,

until even her absence feels quietly planned-

her laughter remains, but altered somehow,

like something rehearsed rather than something unplanned.

And I-

I stand somewhere between memory and witness,

holding fragments that refuse to align,

trying to locate the precise point of distance,

the moment we traded our truth for design-

but there is no moment, no fracture, no sound,

just a slow rewriting, line after line.

We are still those girls.

I believe that in ways I cannot defend-

in the hesitation before we speak too much,

in the instinct to reach, then pretend-

in the way something soft still survives in our silences,

like a language we almost remember again.

And I return-always-to something so mall:

a sweet broken uneven, a gesture without art,

a version of us that had not yet learned

how to ration the body, how to edit the heart-

and I wonder-

not loudly, not bitterly, but like a quiet ache-

when did we begin

to become someone we had to negotiate?

when did we learn

that to be accepted, we must break?

About the Competition

The Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026 by Hashtag Kalakar is a celebration of literary talent, providing a platform for writers across the globe to share their unique voices. The competition is renowned for showcasing diverse works that span various themes and styles, fostering a vibrant community of creative expression. Participants engage in a dynamic exchange of ideas, contributing to an ever-growing tapestry of contemporary literature.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to Maisha Khan for her thoughtful contribution, "The Girls We Used To Be," to the Poetry and Creative Writing Competition 2026. Her work offers a profound reflection on identity and growth, resonating with readers on a deeply personal level. We look forward to witnessing her continued exploration of poetic expression and wish her the best in her future endeavors.

About Hashtag Kalakar

Hashtag Kalakar is a creative platform dedicated to providing artists, writers, singers and other creative talents with opportunities to showcase their work and reach wider audiences through competitions, features and creative initiatives.