Iran: A Poem for Executed Teacher Farzad Kamangar

On 9 May, teacher Farzad Kamangar was executed with four other Iranians: Farhad Vakili, Mehdi Eslamian, Shirin Alamhouli, and Ali Heydarian. Days after the event, we published a poem by Simin Behbahani.

An EA correspondent has sent us another poem, written in remembrance of Kamangar, by Fatemeh Shams:

Iran Document: Simin Behbahani’s Poem for the Executed

It was autumn… I have not seem Newton
Nor have I plucked the red apple of Gravity

It was autumn, the gallows rising, a chair
Go up, don’t fall, tell everyone you flew away


It was autumn, the chair shook a bit
The apple fell, I tasted God

It was autumn, gravity means you hanging at the gallows
After you I have banned gravity

It was autumn, gravity is an absolute lie
I have drawn your likeness suspended, lifeless

I am suspended between earth and your memories
I have breathed your memories into all the elegies

The execution of the order, your death without further ado
I have run, one with your naked feet

It was autumn, I’ve seen Newton, But especially you
Smiling, the way autumn does.

Comments

[parvati_roma]

Beautiful, truly ...:'(

[John Robert Brewer USA]

"I have breathed your memories into all the elegies" What a moving and insightful line of poetry.