From Egg To Camel Poem by Nassy Fesharaki

From Egg to Camel

All of us in village
-sat on the wood-benches
-in the light of the sun
-we saw hung blackboard.

One table was shared by three boys
-same as bench in class; books differed
-Students studied First to Four, in grades.

When school was over
-in days, weeks or seasons
-or ended "Fourth-Grade"
-boys copied their fathers.

Some grabbed the Tobreh
-mostly went with shovels
- (be shepherds or farmers.)

Few went to school
-Fifth grade and higher…

Doing so meant leaving
-in singles or groups
-by packing, travel
-to a larger village
-or cities, and borders!

Textbooks were very rich
- "Rose-garden" each lesson
-with their roots in culture
-either seen, practiced
-or somehow overheard.

One was of the theft which
-we might observed or practiced.

We; mean kids, as the boys
-were devils like serpents!
-We crawled in tunnels
-under walls, (for water)
-blocked by the thorns balls
-to stop animals
-like jackal and the fox.

We sneaked and stole
-produce and cumber
-or berries and fruits
-off bushes and trees,
-ripe, blinking, shiny!

We had a double life
-in Summer, Spring;
- (Other two were bleak!)

We had shops, grocers
-whose dealing was barter
- (Accepted wheat, crops
-or fruits, minerals
-and gave us chocolate
-or city products…)

I had aunt, dad's sister
-heroine, strong and brave.

She ran her home-school
-taught Koran to faithful,
-oversaw farms and tools
- (after died her husband.)

Once, son of her daughter
- (a master to Satan and devil,)
-went to shop with an egg
-to hand in, get sweets
-in return, for exchange…

Grocer, an expert,
-held in hand the light egg
-laughed and looked at cousin:
- "This egg is…"

Unlike now when life is brutal
-when chicken never sees beyond barn
-when is hatched in machine to lay eggs
-when before seeing egg, it is gone;
-then the hens laid eggs by other eggs
- (or at least by an-egg-example
-that owners never took and left there.)
-Such an egg would lose its liveliness
-to become very light, weightless shell…

That was what cousin had stolen! ! !

Since village was small
-the word went all around
-everyone knew of
-devil boy, (the orphan)
-committing that crime…

Some mentioned, some silent
-some laughed and some frowned,
-some grabbed children to corner:
- "He must be embarrassed! "

The thief of egg was caught
-to face cage, punishment
-and exiled from eyes
-to let die the storms
-and settle mass of dust
-in mess of daily life…

Hidden was kept shame of
-the rape of Fatima
- (a poor and disabled,)
-by a so-called mullah!

Everything about him
-was only whispering,
-not to pass and cross
-relating ears-mouths…
-of few who could talk…

And whisper was breeze
-lived shorter than flies!

One of the lessons was
-about thieves and the ‘How':
- "Small ones steal eggs;
-Professionals embezzle! "

Those who rob the nations
-are free and hold chairs
-in schools, colleges,
-in the courts are judges,
-and handle politics
-as leaders, presidents.

I have been student
-from then to today
-from ting class in village
-to time of world-flying-pilot,
-to meet ups with leaders,
-shaking hands with victims
-and living inside some prisons.

I have been and remain
-Smallest student!

I have been and remain
-Smallest student!

I have been and remain
-Smallest student!

I came to conclude:
- "Great were our Textbooks! "

Theory of the life was lesson
- (now removed and hidden
-from books, to be found,
-rarely and faded, in occasion,
-here, there, on some sites,
-Internet!)

We are fooled and amused
-with celebs and their moods
-to forget what goes on.

Bitter is the fact that
- "Catchers are criminals
-and the caught victimized! "

Cruel sends the police
- (That in fact is the pig!)
-to cut the arteries
-of the life of the kids:
- "Separate them from family! "

Cruel is camel-thief
-rules the world, un-punished.

Suffers the thief of egg
-for crimes of others! ! !