UC student explores war, aftermath, healing through poetry

When the sun finally sets, the world grows quieter, but also more revealing. Night is when most people return home, settle in with family and begin to unwind. Yet it’s also a time when the darkness can reveal what daylight would never unveil. 

During that time, UC Ph.D student Hussain Ahmed can be found writing stories about the punishing cycle of grief that soldiers, families and civilians endure after violence and war. “There’s a spiritual element,” he said. “Some poems reference khalwa, a Sufi spiritual practice done in isolation or darkness. Darkness represents perspective, spirituality, culture, and metaphor for me.” 

With conflicts surrounding violence and displacement making headlines across the globe, "Crossroad Mirror" arrives at a moment where the stories of ordinary people need to be discovered. Ahmed hopes the book sparks conversations — on campus and beyond —about the very human impact of wars. 

Twomey said work like Ahmed’s reminds readers of what humanists make possible. “Poetry implies a requirement to focus on nuance and ambiguity in language — which is at the heart of what so many of us in humanities do,” he said. “It brings us close to the worlds of others, or the world as others experience it.”  

“Poetry gives power to the powerless,” Ahmed echoed. “It lets people speak loudly when they are usually unheard.” 

Despite covering heavy subjects, the book is filled with moments of resilience and optimism. Ahmed not only sees the collection as a place for stories to live on but also a guide toward healing.  

“Hope begins by recognizing wounds and sacrifices,” he said. “If the book helps one person see the humanity behind statistics, that’s hope.”

Ahmed praises UC’s English department and Cincinnati’s literary community for giving him the continued support and space needed to write.

He regularly participates in local readings downtown and works closely with his advisor, award-winning poet Felcia Zamora. UC’s Graduate Enrichment grant funded his recent trip to Nigeria, where he is continuing to write, research and explore his interests more.  

“UC has institutional support — mentorship, motivation, resources,” he said. “Faculty [gives]  feedback on manuscripts. The funding gives me time to write. It’s everything a graduate student hopes for.”

Twomey said support for student writers and artists isn’t just an academic value — it reflects UC’s broader mission. “Humanities and the arts are often underfunded and lack general support,” he said. “And yet nearly everyone, including those who might not value a humanities education, count on writers and artists every day.” 

He added that uplifting emerging voices like Ahmed’s is essential:  “If you want the entertainments that you value, and that sustain you, to thrive, then you must support writers and artists, including especially the young people who want to hone their skills as writers.”

Featured image at top: Night sky with city below. Photo/Nathan Anderson for Unsplash.