Iranian poet, Reza Shantiya was born in 1979 in Tehran. His debut book of poems 'Stone Age' was designated as the 'Best Iranian Poetry of Today' in 2001. Shantiya is a graduate of Law from Tehran University. 'Dispersing Falsities' (2007) and 'The Gospel of Shantiya' (2008) are among his other collections of verses
When life surrounded me from all sides
I took myself as hostage
And I warn you:
'Unless I don't set myself free
...
The painting that I
drew with these very hands
of (we don't fear) the night
I hung on the neck
...