Samuel Poem by Nassy Fesharaki

Samuel

Read a note on the wall
-of the lift, elevator (an invite)
- "Samuel has died and…"
-He, too, lived in same jail where I live.
-Writing was in Farsi,
- "We gather, remember…"
-reminds me of their pains
-which I feel as swords and as dagger
-and bullets and needles, deep in me
-they find way, penetrate…
-cannot go since love them…
-and am the day's slave; retarded.

Love them all with the tongues spoken
-these peoples, all of them, their place
-are the lights of my life, I love them
-so, I feel them and their pains
-in my heart and skin; in brain.
-Pain killer for me is: "Keep distance, be away…"

Samuel, brother, hate our names, yours and mine
-since they come from faiths, religions
-they acted as scissors cut us and threw us apart
-they are jails and castles with thick, thick walls,
-barriers that call us: "Christian and Muslim! ! ! "
-both of them are same shit branched off Jewishness

All three believe in same founder
-God is same, creates, is father
-but we as children nourish hate…

We had same ancestor before these religions
-Assyrians, Georgians, Iranians, Armenians; life was shared.
-Later on, came these faiths and arrived troubles.
-I trust in being relatives; some of you migrated
-to city of Julfa, which we built hand in hand
-near old Esfahan to tell you: "Are welcomed."
-But you lived in your pot and we too, acted dumb! ! !
-We prayed world apart though shared the land, sky.
-I forgive and beg for forgiveness…
-I keep you in my heart; absent though of room's game.