Road

My heart sides with madness

My hand pulls my child behind

I weed the garden

I pace the rice field

I write about your callused hands

I drink tea,

        together with sunset

I am in the high-noon dance.

 I put my existence 

        in history’s cage

And pin my wings

        to my notebook.

I walk

        to send the cold away.

The night 

        defeats my eyelids.

Children from the neighbourhood

        bring my shawl,

and remind me

        of the road.

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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