Died By Flood Poem by Nassy Fesharaki

Died by flood

Among what told me Mom
-was her aunt in flood:
- "She held tight to Koran! "

She, I heard, was vigil
-possibly could not write
-but could read.

For the sake of her faith.
For going to Heaven.
For being Good Muslim.

Most of them read Koran
Many read, recited prayers
(Not knowing the contents!)

As good son to my Mom,
-I listened most of times
- (even if disagreed.)

Now feel good
-has taught me
-and I learned.

Fesharak
-the place I was born
-is placed by the heights; at skirts.

I believe ancestors
-were from Sepahan
-to be safe, they escaped
-from the Arabic invaders
-who enforced change of faith
- (and if not would kill them…)

Name, I think
-comes from the old tongue:
- "We crossed the Bridge! "
- (from Hell to Heaven."

Anyway…

The village, I recall;
-I saw it with own eyes
-was Heaven on the Earth.

Many names with word "La"
-indicate, "Place was…"
-full of life, and trees, animals…

But Mom's notes, stories
-opened books and revealed
-we had had history of floods
-and the caused injuries.

One of such I witnessed, is in my memory
-I was child when happened
-drizzles, in no-time, by sudden
-turned flood and we turned displaced;
-that took me round the world.

"Why, why, why? "
-has been and stays on
-my tongue, heart, and brain.

"Stupid and selfish habitants,
-uprooted the trees and plants,
-which acted, naturally, as the dams
-to hold and slow down water's rush
-instead made land bare, naked and
-turned to road, pathway of water…

Now, again, I look at, study
-floods of Manitoba, California
-where farmlands and houses
-are washed and die people…

Flood can easily come and gain
-speed and momentum and power
-act as sword and saber and bullet
-destroy by washing large stones
-off, away from where they stand,
-rolling them; as beetles do with dung.

All we do is simple
-blame it on nature.

We always have and seek excuse!
-Guilty is someone or something else
-and we are innocent…dirty game! ! !