Every step, every destination, I love you.

To spite the murderous traditions, I love you.

You are pious, your kisses are your prayer.

You are different, your kisses are your protest.

You are not afraid of love, of hope, of tomorrow.

I kiss you amid the Taliban, you are not afraid!

KABUL, Afghanistan — The poet Ramin Mazhar, who wrote these lines in Farsi, was barely 5 years old when the United States invaded Afghanistan in 2001 to topple the Taliban’s oppressive regime.

In the 18 years since, Mr. Mazhar and an entire generation of largely urban Afghans have grown up with all the basic liberties, including freedom of expression, that the Taliban had erased. But as American diplomats push for a deal with the Taliban to end the long war, Mr. Mazhar’s generation has been gripped by fear that those liberties could be at risk.

Even Valentine’s Day has taken on a tinge of protest. In the Afghan tradition, love is often expressed through flowery poetry. This year, artists and activists like Mr. Mazhar are using Valentine’s Day to offer verses of a different sort, raising their voices against any potential erosion of rights.