Had I Been Right On Time Poem by Nassy Fesharaki

Had I been right on Time

I want to be baby
As I was when crawled
Like snake and the worm
To the end, down and down
Slope road that sat on side of wall.

There Daddy had grown the poppies
Scratched, whitish milk; seemed tasty,
Being child, I had thought; and pleased
I had licked.

Time passes and mother sees me not
She calls me, shouts my name, no reply
She searches everywhere, all over in or out
I am not; and when found, I am dead
She cries pulling hair, aunt does not
Aunt is sure: He is dead…”
She tells Mom; stands firm:
“Must wash and bury him…”
Lowers head and goes on:
“You are young…”

Years went by
I, alive in need to
Repeat it, and crawl
Once again do the same.

I want to praise the barriers
They saved me from death…
Success could mean torture…
Much further, Massacre…

Had I not failed at times
I know what could have come
Could have been in Evin
With Mehdi Hashemi…
Head on toes and ashamed in a jail.

“Thank you my failures…”
“Thank you my failures…”
“Thank you my failures…”