It must be the poets’ fault
if they did not write
of beautiful women bringing wine
or a girl missing her lover
or if there was no mention
of a candle, or god forbid a butterfly
would we have violence toward women?
Some say poets should be blamed too
then there are all the jokes we hear
if the jokester did not write of a man
coming home to his wife in bed with another
and the jokester added,
actually man did nothing
would we have violence toward women?
Some say jokes have a role in violence
so damn the jokester, damn the jokester
meanwhile the youth is in prison, small or big
stones, not big, not small
are thrown at a woman,
just enough stones to kill her
or perhaps a chair is pulled
when comes the hanging time
but what I hear is
damn the poet, damn the jokester
Shamloo was right
“Such a strange time it is, my dear!”
damn the poet , damn the jokester
