Rock Bottom Poem by Nassy Fesharaki

Rock bottom

When lived in capital
Of the land of the sun
My place was near
Prison named: "Folsom."

With friends, we went to
Bathe in the Lake Tahoe.

Did not know swimming,
In water, moved funny.

Wanted and was eager
To float in water,
So, grabbed a timber
By hugging went further.

Mohammad was devil,
Came, close to steal
My saviour, that tree.

I shouted and I begged
He did not seem to care,
And no one else answered.

"Am dying, can't breathe, "
I cried, with repeats,
They acted like police
That support the racists…

Felt ignored, abandoned
By friends, their feelings,
Anger-filled, kept boiling!

They stood there laughing:
"Does not know swimming."

With my life in danger
Could no more care for them.

Empathise when I see
Slogans and burning…

Picture the baby goat
In Turkish story
Of author, Aziz Nesin…

Oppressor kept forcing:
"Male or not, I want milk, "
The goat ran and escaped
Till ended in one cave…

Greedy master found
The track of goat's life
Unaware of changes.

There, the goat became wolf,
All over, legs, teeth, voice
No more asked, nor did beg,
Instead, jumped and roared.

Problem with White House
Is simple, the ruler is corrupt,
Permanently demands:
"Be sheep and hen and lamb,
Give wool, meat, also bow
To my words as the law."

Oppressed feel in grave,
Buried deep, at bottom
Without right to the air!

Cure is with doctors
To write a prescription…

Medics are governors
With capsule and tablet
And vaccine, injection
Of enough care, justice…

Keep going rioters,
Destroy, break, burn
And ignore the orders,
Be mountain to threats
And silence dictators.