Aah, child of mine
The music lover
The poetry worshipper
Clever and bright
Handsome and fair
Passionate and kind
I had heard about Gitmo,
I had heard about Abu Ghraib,
But I knew about Evin,
I knew
Why didn’t I know the danger
Following you to ward 209?
Why didn’t I protest?
Why didn’t I write?
Why didn’t I scream?
Before they said
You were gone?
Could my voice
Have reached you?
Could my words
Have saved you?
Could my hands have reached out, and
Freed you?
Could I have given you
To your mother,
For Nowruz?
What about the others?
Are they waiting for me?
Am I to do something?
Won’t you tell me what?
Won’t you tell me how?
Aah, child of mine
You leave me a heavy burden
The burden of conscience
The burden of knowledge
The burden of truth
And on Nowruz,
I push ahead
With the burden of you.
Dedicated to the memory of Iranian blogger, Omidreza Mirsayafi, 1981-2009.
