My Boyhood Poem by Nassy Fesharaki

My boyhood

I record history but sort of poetic!
-of the times that are past and buried
-for today, tomorrow, young, old, kids,

The things were different
-everything, everywhere
-I mean life standards

New were banks, football
-saw ice come in large blocks
-not framed in cube, or crushed

Main sports were of ancient Iran
- (Wrestling in the "Goad", on "Toshak",)

If buying was from local shops
-cash were deals; credit on Choob-Khat
- (A stick was taken to the shop
-and seller would carve marks…)

New were noting things in booklets
-except for the whole-sale suppliers'
-collectors who had own alphabet of "Siaq"

Collector would come in evenings
-dress-code was very similar
-each of them came in suit

Bicycle was their main means; transport,
-some young ones came using scooters
-either an engine used on their bike
-or purchased more modern called: "Vespa"

Collectors' trousers were too loose
-it was said: "they have largest pockets."

Go-between the sellers-shop-owners
-were men who carried varied samples
-in kerchief, little rice, this or that of crops,
-name for them was "Dallal"

Yogurt man was great magician
-he arrived riding his bicycle
-too exact and smart and perfect
-similar to tiger and the ring of fire
-in circus

The dairies he brought had long range
-carried on the handle, in saddle, on trays
-the trays were huge and all round
-in one and two, three, more levels

Each tray, or level was a home
-to many clay bowls and vases; same height
-called "Kaseh" and "Koozeh"
-all of them filled (yogurt)
-yet holding top tray as column and stud

The largest clay bowls for yogurt
-had own name, "Taghar'

That expert carrier, circus man
-could supply tens of shops in one run

Things were so different in those years
-that is when I was boy, very young
-rapidly approaching my teen years

Fruits and produce were sold by
-the men with donkeys
-or the ones pushing a four-wheel cart
-or by us; those with a "Dépanneur"

The taxis were mostly black-white
-I recall Mercedes "Hundred Seventy"
-the flat and huge US cars looked funny
-and mostly were toys to the local gangsters
-and bandits; scattered…

No soda and no pop
-extract of the herbs and or "Dough"
- (Water-milk)
-were consumed in summer to kill thirst

Funny was arrival of bottles, lemonade
-the pulling of the tops like ram fight
-replacing hitting eggs, testing shell

Oh, then things and the life
-were very different

Water came in two ways
-night and day
-the night one for cistern
- "Feshari" to drink; night and day

Each of two carried myths, stories
-and life was different
-and I am a poet who must write

I record history but sort of poetic

Night water came from springs
-in what is now known as sewage
-then called: "Jooy" sounded: "Joob"
-then we had a master water for "Mir-ab"

He knew time and share to us all
-with water came the waste and even
- (as I heard) some fetus…aborted
- (Bastard? Unwanted? Poverty? Or crime?)

The owners of houses kept fish in the cistern
-to eat worms and clean the water…

"Feshari" was the best to drink
-the man with water tank and horse too
-came brought good water; "Ab-e-shah"

Then, those days, if we found time
-scavenged the canal of sewage
-for finding lost coins…fallen and forgotten
-which for us, children, meant great treasure

I record history in way of poetic
- (making a Zoetrope in writing)

I recall that summer
-we copied some other shop owners
-purchased as small lamb my older brother
-I would feed animal with skins; of melons

All fruits, include the peaches, nectarine
-were brought in boxes
-secured between leaves and the weeds
-I fed the lamb we bought
-with weeds' leaves and skins

Once I cut left hand's thumb
-have lost part of my nail

My childhood
-those gone days
-with new public bus
-and the years of changes
-that Tehran, shapes a palm
-for the endless Tehran, of today…

Must record history but sort of poetic
- (making it Zoetrope in writing)

Past is vast…
-in ocean of my life
-rapidly I get lost…
-turn to hay or a cork in the waves

But still must record history; a sort of poetic
- (making it Zoetrope in writing)

What about air-plane?
What about "Laleh Zar", theatres?
And what of English replacing the French?

Oh, Ajax
-the coup of Nineteen and Fifty-Three
-by devil "USA" and the whore, "Britain"
-and the shameless young shah who signed
-on "Capitulation…"
-giving right to the dog of Yankees
-to oppress the people of Iran