Today they ban them from driving on the streets
You won’t say anything; it has not happened to you
It happened to them!
Tomorrow they order them to put a mark on their forehead
This time the mark will not be that painful yellow star
This time it will be a cold shining crescent on the their forehead,
Just so, the possibility of remembering won’t disturb You!
You will be silent again and a bit upset;
You just don’t know why you are upset!
Then they quietly put them in concentration camps!
Quietly, So, It does not remind you, by mistake of course,
Of the Executive Order 9066 and what came after.
So, You won’t say anything!
You are not even upset: It did not happen to you.
It happened to them!
After all what happened in the past is History!
It does not concern You,
Because you have a short memory for things that does not happen to you,
They skip your memory!
So don’t you dare ask me if I want to have kids!
Don’t dare!
Let it be another thing that skips your memory
My kid needs those who don’t forget History!
You can forget, but I am Them
I have to remember, to survive it;
I have to;
I am a Post-nine-11 Middle Easterner
I have a crescent on my forehead like Maah Pishooni*
The fortunate girl of Persian folktales
Just not as fortunate,
Not as Persian,
And more so
Not A Tale!
You won’t say anything; it has not happened to you
It happened to them!
Tomorrow they order them to put a mark on their forehead
This time the mark will not be that painful yellow star
This time it will be a cold shining crescent on the their forehead,
Just so, the possibility of remembering won’t disturb You!
You will be silent again and a bit upset;
You just don’t know why you are upset!
Then they quietly put them in concentration camps!
Quietly, So, It does not remind you, by mistake of course,
Of the Executive Order 9066 and what came after.
So, You won’t say anything!
You are not even upset: It did not happen to you.
It happened to them!
After all what happened in the past is History!
It does not concern You,
Because you have a short memory for things that does not happen to you,
They skip your memory!
So don’t you dare ask me if I want to have kids!
Don’t dare!
Let it be another thing that skips your memory
My kid needs those who don’t forget History!
You can forget, but I am Them
I have to remember, to survive it;
I have to;
I am a Post-nine-11 Middle Easterner
I have a crescent on my forehead like Maah Pishooni*
The fortunate girl of Persian folktales
Just not as fortunate,
Not as Persian,
And more so
Not A Tale!
Artist and His Mother, Arshile Gorky, 1926
Based on a real photograph
* Maah Pishooni translates for (Moon- on Forehead) is a Persain Folktale: it also refers to someone who is fortunate!
Based on a real photograph
* Maah Pishooni translates for (Moon- on Forehead) is a Persain Folktale: it also refers to someone who is fortunate!
5 comments:
i was looking at your pictures tonite, and you know, being in the profession i am, as i was reading you i was liking the gentle soul in the pictures more and more.
it was an amazing piece Roja, i read it over and over and i could feel it deep inside my heart
It was beautiful, but I am just curious to understand what did you mean by cold shining crescent?
Not a tale, indeed. I can't tell enough you how i liked this post...
I've seen an Armenian Film which talked about that painting you post here, and how the artist couldn't finish painting his mother's hand. I can't remember the title... Ararat maybe.
after such a long time I have read such a post...
It awakens me up, made me worried, and made my eyes wet!
I do want to forget it ... but may be its not for the best
unforunately true but never ever, not again shall this happen :(
but then again what a trivial existence we have... humans at the hands of humans... our egos, our pride ....
I really dont want to be cynical ...
Adam Golabi Joon
Thanks; Perhaps I can confess it toy you that when writing it I was in pieces and perhaps sentimental; the devastation was that I could not change the facts and make them a to become a tale!!!
Dear Maryam
Thanks for your faltering comment: if I understand your question correctly, I should say, Shiny and Cold like Ice, like Night, like Silver!
Dearest Jeerjeerak
Thanks a lot! And You are absolutely right about Ararat: It is directed by Atom Egoyan and it is Arshile Gorky's fictional Biography film: in 1915 during the Armenian Genocide they escaped to Russia were his mother died in 4 years!
Dear Esfand
Thanks and I am sorry that this piece made you upset: and you are right we shouldn't be cynical; Perhaps I exaggerated a bit but on that day I was in no mood to give a realistic account of what has really happened; maybe soon!
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