Santa Noruz Poem by Nassy Fesharaki

Santa Noruz

Mom; my best story-telling person so far
talked of Amoo-Noruz and I thought.

My curiosity was crushed under the mass of her words
it would re-awake a day after
or a week, or a month or a year
but died; never, not even now:
Who is Noruz…and his wife?
why not meet?

Santa is coming to town:
You better watch out, better not cry,
You better not pout,
Santa Claus is coming to town!
Gonna find out who's naughty or nice.
Santa Claus is coming to town!
He sees you when you're sleeping,
He knows when you're awake.

And I think of my mother’s story
stolen and Christianised and retold
I am told to: “forget the past; accept the present”
and my mother’s story makes sense
Noruz, the new day, is spring, his wife is winter
They never see eye to eye
But Santa?