My Treaty Poem by Nassy Fesharaki

Pen
This three letter word
In Arabic too has three letters
And Mohammad, prophet of Islam
Takes an oath on it...

I too, love pen
John Borrows, an Anishinabe scholar, an indigenous, a First Nation
Speaks of love in Massy Hall.

They lost lives in the unequal wars
The defenders lost to the occupiers
Times and times and times again
Regardless of the dedicated ruler
But now
Thanks to pen
They are winning
They are using the weapon used to choke them
The pen
The writing
The stories
The history
Yes
On pen I swear
In its name I live; as have lived many, like Firdausi

“Pen, to you and my teachers
I am a volunteer slave
As I saw the lamas be
In Andes”

To pen I bow; the Pen I kiss
And on it I swear; forever

And
Faithful I will remain
This is my treaty.