Even Then Poem by Nassy Fesharaki

Even then

Was born, raised somewhere, where
-saw rebels and shotguns
-Coup de-tats, coups de-tats!
-Had to pass, and crossed
-bridges with tracks and canals!

What a life, what a life!

Was censored all the time!
-Censorship has been life
-for poets, poetry
-which grew very rich
-by using metaphors, ambiguity!

We, so-called: "Old Nation"
-have had mobs forever, and always
-they do keep and own the
-knife and chain and sticks
-to pull tongues, shut the mouths
-demanding: "Don't speak! "

Our poems, music, many songs
-are full of and based on
-the Tulip
-many times, the red wild,
- (showing who rebels are
-and love the freedom;
-children to nature!)

In times, though, tulip is domestic
-to show the friendship, families
-getting bored from the patriarchs.

Oh, poets of Persian and Iran
-your words are red-blood
-crimson on pages,
-after long, when dried.

They are all golden and treasure
-when choosing the methods.

You select the words with two angles
-icing them with great metaphors
-to shed light, top it up, choosing ways!

Government,
And justice,
And mullahs,
(Past and now!)
Have been, are
Corrupters…

Brutal!
Brutal!
Brutal!

Yes dear…
Yes dear…
Yes dear…

This can be
-the cause why
-we, always
-have had "Shah! "

And mullahs
-wear turban
-as crowns…

To become
-shitty shah.

Our nation
-brothers and sisters
-has remained
-divided, pro-con…

Part of us is always
-serving the outsider
-look at coup of 1953!

I was six
-a child of around five
-and saw it how it was …

That can be why I am a rebel
-to all and each of the
-governments…
-till I die…
-till I rest in grave…

My questions are simple:
- "What about the nation? "
- "When will be united? "
- "Why should we be abused?
- "Why do the cruel rules? "
- "Until when are we fooled? "

Am in love with poets
-and poems, when Persian
-in any part of us
-Iran to India
-all the way to Turan…

They speak in secret
-we must read, decipher
-the Morse Code that they use
-Hafez and Khayyam and…
-all of them have clues…

I rebelled
I rebel for ever…

I sneak and do what
-they tell me; "Do not do! "

In Dubai I helped the
-opposites, smugglers
-my store was shelter
-for ones who had rebelled…

"No US product…"
-said rulers in Iran
-I opened an LC,
-water pumps, importing.

Had people remove the
-labels of "US made"
-changing to: "Taiwan made"
-rewrapped them in boxes
-exported all of them
-to Iran to save the
-farmers in Varamin
-and many more cities…

Broke laws everywhere;
-proudly do again
-if needed, required!

"Fax is not permitted! "
-said Iran government.

I let man use store
-gather fax and restore
-then wrap and pack and ship,
-smuggle, sell them cheap.

Slogan was simple:
- "People need freedom."

I purchased, imported
-the tools that converted
-the landline to faxes
-so, people could converse
-without leaving trace
-or being detected…

Now, the ex-minster
-confirms how the letters
-were read by hundreds
-to be safely censured…

Am sending this message
-to fools in government,
-past and now, future:
- "We knew, even then!
-You betrayed the nation.
-Confession is too late.
-You are shame to Shiites.
-The same shit rules today! "