Repent Poem by Nassy Fesharaki

Repent

"Imagine…"
He said as if a shout
Raised his voice in anger
Mural of cry:
"…imagine being hatched as swan…"
I waited for fable to arrive
Felt him be serious so became all ears;
He went on:
"…imagine your mother being duck…"
Similar story ran in mind; I smiled
He went on:
"…then be forced to act duck…"

I saw him as kettle,
Whistling while boiling unsettled,
Volcano open-mouthed,
My question got stuck on the tongue:
"What will be the outcome? "

And I thought:
"Tea? Coffee? Or compote?
Or gourmet? Medicine? Sterilised? "

He went on:
"I was born to be Kurd
Was forced to convert and play Turk
I don't know if fear or need or…"

He stopped, an inhale, then blow:
"…learned of me and rebelled…rejected…"

Preacher he seemed be on altar:
"I repent; we all must…
Those with a past
Converters, reconvert
Resist and over turn…
I repent and so must all of the ‘First Nations'…"

Looked at him…the sheepish brown eyes
Now were wolves':
"All of the Indians as white called…"