Persian Sky Poem by Liilia Talts Morrison

Summer roses dripping
from hanging gardens
Were very red
Against the cobalt Persian sky
The outskirts of Tehran sultry, musky
The heat breath defying, choking

A wealthy family employed me as a maid.
Though bright and even educated,
I could not break the barrier
to find better, less taxing work
(perhaps I didn't think I was good enough)

In my duties as a maid I used my mind
I tried to be the best in what I did
and was praised, graced with favors
By the family of my employ

It was just past two o'clock
Gold encrusted clocks inside
Rang the hour with two rich tolls
The afternoon was August twelve
The year no longer matters now

A dust fringed fan
placed by the terrace doors
was twisting, whirring at full speed
Each turn brought cool relief
As one left the main house

Brushing it clean did not work for me.
That's when I had a thought -
The pool of turquoise water
Lined with colorful mosaic tile
Where children played
Their water games
Yes – I'd dip the fan
And clean it In one sweep
amid the fallen rose petals
floating in the pool.

Bending down, I threw a loose veil
From my sari over the shoulder
And dipped the whirring fan.
To my joy the dust immediately
floated loose from the grids
But then the fan blades stopped.

I felt a slight tremble
As my rough hands grasped
The handle of the fan
Beautiful bells began to ring
As I looked down below.

I saw a small woman
Wearing a sari lying by the pool
The fingers of her hands were open
As if having let go of an object.

'I'm up here! ' I called
as loudly as I could
as several people ran
through terrace doors
arounding this body
but no one looked up.