Areopagitica Poem by Nassy Fesharaki

Areopagitica

In my hand I hold a book printed in Paris
-it is the book of law; language Spanish
-warning for the blasphemous
-burn the tongue with pepper, cut it if it works not

I kneel near Acropolis
-next to a stone, a hill, Areopagus
-haven for the ones involved in homicide
-we have been true and sincere friends
-for as long as mankind has
-existed and walked on the Earth's face!

Sanctuary; Sanctuary; Sanctuary

I recall the Old Testament; killers
-ancient religious sanctuaries
-The Cities of Refuge

We talk and I leap deep into time
-Persians sack the Parthenon
-One and a half century later
-Alexander sacks Persepolis

And I revive, alive, thanks to that call
-and I am with Areopagitica
-the work of Milton
-and he is blind
-as were Roudaki and Razi

We all bow to humanity
-if it exists at all
-begging:
-'Give us the liberty to know,
-to utter, and to argue freely
-according to conscience,
-above all liberties.'

I open my eyes in Tehran
-books are censored
-prior and after printing
-as are movies…