Arts and Literature

Waiting for an Ordinary Day

My first glimpses of Baghdad are burned deep into memory, as if they belong to a vanished place. Palm groves swish in a soft autumn breeze, as the muddy waters of the Tigris River stream through the city. The green riverbank is lined with shabby fish restaurants, and the skyline is dotted with an architectural variety of marble palaces, blue-domed mosques, gigantic statues made of steel, colonial houses with engraved balconies, and multistory, seventies-style office buildings. The roads, wide and well paved, are jammed with cars. In a crowded market, peddlers push wooden carts full of fruit and fresh herbs, and a bookstore is stocked with old translated copies of Russian literature and Shakespeare’s poetry>>>

چکامه ی روشن آشیانه

همگان گفتند:
شاید که مرا
درنگ ِ این سروده
به آشیانه ی اشتیاق ام
مگر نشانه ی روشنی گردد،
و من رفتم
از پی آن چکامه ی شاد و
آن دگر همزاد ِ آینه. >>>

This moment in history

Congratulations to all for witnessing one of the most historic moments of our lives. Obama's victory was not just an American victory, it was a victory for all nations. It gives hope and inspiration to all human beings around the globe and it brings back our belief in the future, that good, common sense, and the notion that we are "our brother's keeper," as Obama so brilliantly kept saying during his campaign, prevails over self-serving greed that has consumed the human race in the last decade. In my opinion there have been many heroes during this race, those who have brought us inspiring moments, demonstrating grace, human decency, and above all, unity for the good of all in the midst of all the chaos and the dirty political race to the top. I can never forget Hillary Clinton's concession speech and her grace and complete selflessness in her support for the under dog who came from the back and beat her in the race of her life. And then that of Bill's>>>

Two Visions

No matter when and where
We are born or raised
Two visions hold our attention
These are fear and love
Those who promote fear
Urge us to put bigger locks on our doors
They want more cops on the streets
And more defense spending
They want to build better walls and borders
They are suspicious of others >>>

چندهمسری در ادبیات ایران

چندهمسری در ادبیات ایران، را به طور مثال در"خسرو و شیرین" نظامی داریم، توجه داشته باشید که چون در ایران آقایان همیشه مقدم اند، اسم خسرو خان قبل از نام شیرین خانم می آید، در داستان "خسرو و شیرین" زنهای دیگر همه در مه و غبار به سر می برند و فقط از مریم می شنویم و دسیسه هایش برای ملکه و یا سوگلی شاه باقی ماندن و سر به نیست کردن هووها. از آن طرف شیرین پس از آن که به همسری خسروپرویز در آمد، در قصری وسط بیابان (انها که قصرشیرین را دیده اند می فهمند چی می گویم) زن دوره ی شکار خسروخان شد. یعنی خسرو پرویز گه گاه برای شکار و یا به بهانه شکار به آن منطقه می آمد و جلوس می فرمود. شیرین در آن غربت و برهوت برای رفع تنهایی با جوان هنرمندی گرم گرفته بود تا این که فضول ها و فتنه ها به شاهنشاه خبر دادند که چه نشسته ای زنت با فرهاد گرم گرفته و شاهنشاه هم با حقه ای فرهاد را از سر راه خود برداشت. یعنی چند همسری وجود داشت ولی فقط برای آقایان و هر آقای ایرانی هم سلطان خانه ی خویش است دیگر! >>>

Hungry Traveler

Sa'di called death a wolf
Who snatches sheep at every moment
From the herd of the village.
But I saw you, on that white bed
Lying like a feather-plucked bird
With closed wings and browned skin,
And death like a hungry traveler
Sitting before a white tablecloth
With silver knife and fork in hand
And a red glass on the side >>>

The Newlyweds (12)

Payam jan, Against your best judgment, I went ahead and saw Kati by myself.At the time, I reasoned that I did not have any unethical motive.That it would just prove once and for all that I did not, could not, have any feelings for her, at least not beyond those that a brother-in-law should have. But in reality, I was just making an excuse to see her. Ever since her party for her friend Geraldine, I felt so low.I stopped going to work, pretending that I was sick.I lost my appetite.It was really weird.I would get these frightening hunger pangs and run to the refrigerator, serve myself a huge platter of food and then, when I sat down to devour it, looking at the food before me, inhaling its odors of burning meat and sour legumes, I would be overwhelmed with the desire to vomit.I lost ten pounds since I last wrote to you>>>

Friend of the People

Mr. Obama; Friend of the people! Sir!
They may already be after you, beware!
No use thinking you’re loved by all,
And so they won’t dare.
For they surely do. And, so,
Of your beloved self
Do please take care!
Be another J.F.K. >>>

دوئیت تهرانی/شهرستانی

رز آرا در مجموعه اشعارش نامی از تهران نمی برد بلکه برای اشاره به تهران از واژه یا دال پایتخت استفاده می کند. واژه پایتخت در شش شعرکتابش هنوز مرا نیافریده اند (1382) که شامل شصت ونه قطعه است آمده است. تفاوت دال پایتخت با دال تهران در این است که "پایتخت" مثل "تهران" تنها نامی خنثی نیست بلکه مفهمومی مولد است. دیگر اینکه "پایتخت" مثل "تهران" واژه ای معصوم نیست، بلکه به ستمی تاریخی اشاره دارد. زیرا تاریخمندی خاصی را در ارتباط با گفتمان قدرت برملا می کند و نشان می دهد که تهران مرکزی است که مفهوم شهرستانی در تقابل با آن ساخته می شود. دال "پایتخت" تهران را نه تنها به عنوان یک شهر بلکه به عنوان مرکزیتی که بر مبنای تخت و تاج ساخته شده معرفی می کند."پایتخت" تاریخ آقا محمد خان قاجار را به یاد می آورد و اینکه مرکزیت تهران بر اساس خشونت قومی-ناسیونالیستی قدرت استوار شده. چهره ی آقا محمد خان—عقیم بودن و خشونتش—لایه ها، خشونت، و ارزشهای نهفته فرهنگ مردسالاری و قبیله ای را که در خشونت، جنگ طلبی، کشتار و انتقام جویی، و هجوم ریشه دارد هویدا می کند.>>>

The Newlyweds (11)

Baradare Azizam, Two months of silence. I deserved that, after sending you that nasty email. All I can do now is to apologize and hope that you forgive me and please agree to write and call me again. I have had a lot of time to reflect on what you conveyed to me in your last email. I know that you have only the best of intentions towards me. I know I have to work on my marriage and make the best of it. Nassim is a good girl that would make any man happy and she would never have gotten angry like that if I had not provoked her. Dadash joon, I want you to know I tried everything I could to put distance between Kati and me, even though I disagreed with your opinion. I didn’t return her phone calls or emails>>>

Dilemma

It’s a dazzling summer morning. The breeze moves the shining waves of sun with care. Foreign birds fly in the sky with harmony. A masked man is trailing me through the orange trees of my childhood memories. The green leaves touch my face and juicy oranges drop over my head. The branches scratch my skin and the pain spreads its path through my veins. I run and I don’t look back. The heavy breathing of the faceless man overshadows the happiness of the wind, and the diffuseness of a fading moon enlightens my way. Like in a dream, in a blink of eye, I grow tall and strong, capable of pushing away branches and trunks and leaving their imposing path. Like the imaginary Deev of legends and tales, I crush trees under my toes, knowing I’d reach the birds, if I want to.>>>

The Golden Age of Persia

The Arab Islamic conquests of the seventh century were of the same magnitude as the Persian conquests of 500 BC, Macedonian’s of 300 BC, Rome’s in 100 BC and Sassanians of 200 CE. The united and faithful barbaric tribes of Arabia were able to defeat two glorious civilizations of Persia and Byzantine, and took over an immense empire stretching from Morocco to India. The Arabic language grew from a limited Semitic tongue to dominate the Middle East, and Islam reshaped the Eastern cultural and religious outlook. Sadly, western Iran was decimated by the Arab invasion, but the Persian culture survived in the Eastern provinces (especially Khorasan), where there was less resistance from the general populace and the Parthian minded nobility.>>>