Well Born Poem by Nassy Fesharaki

Well Born

I know him from long
-when working, personal
-deep is not either one

Work-wise we, were colleagues
-officers in Iran, of ranking
-between us single rank
-He became a major
-I, a first lieutenant

Each of us a dervish
-attended the parish

Neither cared for money,
-were distanced of evil

pilgrimage and prayed
-both doubted the system,
-patriarchs, were leaders

Both of us brainless
-adored, liked adventures
-risked our lives very cheap
-embraced the dangers

Now we are examples
-for people to select
-way of life to live on
-sheepishly, lamb, chicken
-face insult, disrespect
-to live long and be safe
-or lie and hoard, gather,
-to become religious
-or accept the torture
-of living with bastards
-work with veins, bloodless

We deserve much respect
-on true history's every page
-but are the erased and washed
-we are the "Forgotten"

We are the swept one, the hidden
-we are seen as insects in carpet
-we are facts, history
-the canvas upon which
-spread is ash and
-the paint is vinegar

When he was elected to fly for Royals
-people rose and stood with mullahs
-rapidly the things changed like storm,
-the revolt saw blood and burned Rex
-Shah escaped; as did with Mosaddeq
-this time though, not Iraq; to Aswan

Our friend flew Shah
-a "Hero" he become on return to Iran

This turned him to sharp edge of a sword
-a bearer of power, a razor, blazer
-trusted by leaders of mullahs
-he flew a Boeing, a tanker

Like before in his heart much secret…

Till that day…

He aligned on runway
-D14 was planned departure
-he would head for the south and climb
-he would have altitude at "Delta"
-to climb and return to TACAN
-and then turn to the west for airway…

Soon after taking off he reported "Mayday"
- "S. O. S., have engine problem, "
-ambulance, fire trucks…
-emergence…

In shamble, the ‘airport-atmosphere'
-in plane, everything different
-he flew and climbed each second
-the centre's radar in surveillance
Anxious were the people
-worried eyes looked around for fire
-a tanker, fuel-filled
-if crashed could cause a disaster

Well-Born had two famous VIPs,
-MKO's President, and Nation's
-in secret, everything was planned
-the "Hero" would take them to France

An expert and smart, as he was
-he knew of order
- "Fire on the planes that desert or escape, "
-had to hide his plane from sight of fighters

Therefore he, planned to go to north
-he would hide right behind the Alborz
-till border of Turkey
-he would set the system to "Hi-jack"

The centres in airports are aware
-of flash, which is far different
-from an air-plane's normal path
-he did so, and they left

The news of such move took over media
- (everywhere in the world but Iran;
-Iran needs to censor the news,
-so, reports in hours; long after!)

Day after, all of us, in Air-force
- were shocked and displaced; disaster
-many of officers were fired
-some of us arrested
-some of us as happened
-faced same as I have faced

Now, we are scattered, most of us fliers,
-feel like ants that lose home to water
-feel like bees in smoke and fire
-feel like birds, observing branches
- (fall by cut, die their chicks in the nests)

History, truly, is mean and dishonest
-sees crown and throne and palace not bricks
-sees surface of the waves
-is blind to corals and seabed

History writes of the Shah, good or bad History records the presidents
History writes as wants, of the wars
History writes about Saddam's wrong
-exactly as wants it CIA
-or blind reporters who live on Media
-or to give respect to the White House
-Kremlin, No 10, Palace of Élysée

History keeps walking on blood
History loves blood, eats blood
History is drunk with blood
History is a pool of blood
History is a bat-vampire
-hunts the sick; and asleep and tired

I hear that "Well-Born" is living in Paris
-his bed is similar to those of the sardines'
- (as is mine and are rest, all around
-like the "House of Sand and Fog"

My friend, ex-colleagues
-I love you and miss you
-we are all, victims of others' faults
-we are the founding stones and bricks
-to ugly history and must bear
-the words of the Toms and the Dicks
-and the Harry's…all same shit!

Hey "Well Born" be aware
-I, too, am a sardine
-in a can; Toronto-Canada
-like the one in the sand and in fog

Hey "Well-Born" let's confess:
- "We are not innocent, made mistakes! "
- "Most of us prefer being dead…"
-we were the keystones that gave shape