Seen And Not Poem by Nassy Fesharaki

Seen and not

Reading of "Frog Lake"
And so-called "Massacre"
Takes me right into books
And trips, my research…

Foroud was son of the
Siavash; greatest
Iranian princes;
His mother daughter of
Old Vazir of Tooran;
(Possibly a Chinese!)

Shahnameh, in detail
Speaks of everything.

It tells us of the time
That fighters had to fight:
"Fort was sealed,
Its doors locked,
And women were inside."

Matriarch demanded:
"Time is for suicide! "

They took knives, killed themselves:
"Better dead than be raped…"

Similar are those of
Santa Cruise, Bamiyan
(Cuarenta chicas, Chel-Dokhtaran.)

I read of Shah Baba
(The king of Kandahar)
And using elephants
To step on heads of
the opposed, enemies
(Which they did!)
(Smashed heads!)

I can see old, ancient.

In Panjshir, observed what
Did Masood, Ahmad Shah
(Minister and leader,
Lion of mountainous area…)

Captives were of the two
Governments that he fought
Communists, Taliban…

The P. O. W. s
Were free though somehow
Not allowed to go out…

"Why free? " I asked the
Afghan lord, commander.

His reply was kindest
"Because I am Muslim, "
He believed in mankind
Being same, equal…

Sarwari who had been
Brutal in office,
Was among arrested
And free among the
Taliban and fighters
Of "Ahmad Shah Masood."

I spoke with one who
Had come of Zahedan
And joined the Taliban.

He gave me a message:
"Give this to my parents."

I never saw Iran
And cannot…
Thanks to my wanting to
"Not dissolve! "

I feel "The Frog Lake"
As expert of cultures,
Not in the Whites' manner.