Passing

Hand-in-hand with time,

            I pass.

I place a smile on a violet flower.

I become one with ivies,

            and find my name;

            an image in the valley of distress.

And I will enter

            the young poplars’ dreams

            every spring …

Mina Dastgheib is an Iranian poet. She has published more than 12 collections so far. Her contemporary poems are very concise and enriched with strong social and political metaphors. Many of her poems convey a sad feeling; a reflection of the harsh life in a country with difficult conditions. Some of her work received acclaim from critics and one of her collections was selected as the referee’s choice in the Seventh Festival of Persian Culture in Fars province.  

Mina used to teach Persian and English literature in high schools in Tehran and Shiraz. She is retired now and lives in her hometown of Shiraz. 

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