Mahnaz Yousefi
"with the narrow knowledge of gunpowder"
with the narrow knowledge of gunpowder
a bullet has been shot at a street
with a mix of a deep skull with shallow fancies
a bullet has been shot at a crowd in the street
with a dead discovery of the nature of every human still alive,
a bullet has been shot at a living crowd in the street.
a dark poem
for a dark people
for the instant before the leaf begins
before its brain had opened a cell for the plant
before it sprouted
oozed sleep, dream after dream after dream
if only the sun had shone sooner
something would beat in the chest
and move in the depressed shoes
if only a window would open to a bird
that had wings other than to fly
wings to destroy, with difficulty and rage
wings to give birth, to rage
a dark birth for dark wings
for a window opening to the knowledge of a bullet
— to the street —
for a crowd who had hearts filled with wheat gold
but harvested the dregs of war
for those alert workers in brick-red factories
who ached to close their eyes for a minute
for the crowd who grew tired
who would sleep if to live were to be awake
who would sleep if to die were to be awake
for Adam in that moment when he laughed although worried
for Adam’s work that depended on his daughter’s handicapped heart
for Adam’s daughter’s heart that depended on her father’s work
a dark poem for a family that has forgotten sleep
on whose shoulders life is heavy as a sack of coal.
for every firewood that is charcoal
every charcoal that is a flame and
every flame that is a declaration of war
for the day they announced the suddenness of the blood
and the red velvet of the street burst in a babel
who is making their way through the crowd with a raised fist?
who is it coming from afar
who laughs wide as a dream in harmony with the wrist movements?
when the ceiling soared overhead
a sky that did not shine
did not collapse
and did not leak.
Publisher: First publication on poetryinternational.com, , 2023
"met de weinige kennis van buskruit"
met de weinige kennis van buskruit,
werd er een kogel op een straat afgeschoten
met een mengsel van een diepe schedel en weinig fantasie
is een kogel afgevuurd op een groep
door het ontdekken van een dode voor de aard van elk mens dat leeft
is een kogel afgevuurd op een levende massa op straat
een duister gedicht
voor een duister volk
voor het moment net voordat het blad begint
voordat het in zijn hersenen een cel opent voor de plant
voordat het ging groeien
de slaap, droom na droom dromen druppelden
ik wou dat de zon eerder begon te schijnen
dat er iets in de borst zou kloppen
en in de sombere schoenen zou bewegen
ik wou dat er een raam openging naar een vogel
die vleugels had voor meer dan alleen vliegen
een vleugel om af te breken, hard en woedend
een vleugel om te baren, het baren van de woede
een duistere geboorte voor een duistere vleugel
voor een raam dat tijdens de kennis van de kogel is geopend
— naar de straatkant —
voor een volk wier hart vol tarwegoud was
maar de restjes van de oorlog oogstte
voor diegenen die smachtten naar een seconde van slaap
in de baksteenkleurige loodsen van de fabriek, geheel alert, werkten
voor een volk wat moe werd
en als leven wakker blijven was, sliepen
en als sterven wakker blijven was, sliepen
voor ‘Adam’ en het moment waarop hij lachte en zich zorgen maakte
voor het werk van ‘Adam’ die afhankelijk was van het gehandicapte hart van zijn dochter
voor het hart van de dochter van ‘Adam’ die afhankelijk was van het werk van haar vader
een duister gedicht voor een gezin dat het slapen vergeten is
op wier schouders het leven als zakken kolen drukt.
voor elk brandhout dat kool is
elke kool een vlam
en elke vlam is een oorlogsverklaring.
voor die dag waarop ze aankondigen dat het bloed onverwachts zou zijn
en het chaotisch werd op de rode zijde van de straat
wie houdt zijn vuist in de lucht en duwt mensen opzij?
wie is het die uit de verte komt
en zijn glimlach, in de breedte van de droom, afstemt op de beweging van zijn vuist?
toen het dak opgekomen was;
een hemel die niet scheen
niet viel
en niet lekte.
Publisher: 2023, Voor het eerst gepubliceerd op PoetryInternational.com, Rotterdam
"با سواد اندک باروت،"
با سواد اندک باروت،
گلوله ای به خیابانی شلیک شده است
با ترکیب جمجمه ای عمیق با خیالات اندک،
گلولهای به توده ای در خیابان شلیک شده است
با کشف مرده ای برای طبیعت هر انسان که زنده است،
گلوله ای به توده ای زنده در خیابان شلیک شده است.
شعری تاریک
برای جماعتی تاریک
برای لحظه ای پیش از شروع برگ
پیش از آنکه در مغزش سلولی را برای گیاه باز کرده باشد
پیش از آنکه رسته باشد
خواب، رویا رویا رویا تراویده باشد
کاش پیش از این آفتاب می تابید،
چیزی در سینه می تپید
و در کفش های افسرده حرکت می کرد
کاش پنجره ای به پرندهای باز می شد
که جز پریدن بالهای دیگری هم داشت
بالی برای ویران کردن، با سختی و با خشم
بالی برای زاییدن، زاییدنِ خشم
زایشی تاریک برای بالی تاریک
برای پنجره ای که در سواد گلوله گشوده شده است
-رو به خیابان-
برای جمعیتی که قلبش از طلاییِ گندم پر بود
اما تفاله های جنگ را درو می کرد
برای آن ها که در حسرت یک دقیقه چشم برهم گذاشتن
در سوله های آجری رنگِ کارخانه با هوشیاری کامل کار می کردند
برای جماعتی که خسته می شدند
و اگر زندگی کردن بیداری بود، می خوابیدند
واگر مرگ بیداری بود، می خوابیدند
برای «آدم» و آن لحظه ای که میخندید وُ نگران بود
برای کار «آدم» که به قلب معلول دخترش بستگی داشت
برای قلب دختر «آدم» که به کار پدرش بستگی داشت
شعری تاریک برای خانواده ای که خوابیدن را از یاد برده است
و زندگی همچون کیسه های ذغال بر دوش اش سنگینی می کند.
برای هر هیزم که یک ذغال
و هر ذغال که یک شعله
و هر شعله اعلان جنگ است.
برای آن روز که ناگهانی بودن خون را اعلام کردند
و بر حریر قرمز خیابان همهمه شد.
چه کسی مشت اش را بالا گرفته است و مردم را کنار می زند؟
چه کسیست آنکه از دور می آید
و خندیدنش به پهنایِ رویا با حرکت مچ اش هماهنگ است؟
وقتی سقف سر برکشیده بود؛
آسمانی که نمی تابید
فرو نمی ریخت
و چکه نمی کرد.
Publisher: First published on poetryinternational.com,
"with the narrow knowledge of gunpowder"
with the narrow knowledge of gunpowder
a bullet has been shot at a street
with a mix of a deep skull with shallow fancies
a bullet has been shot at a crowd in the street
with a dead discovery of the nature of every human still alive,
a bullet has been shot at a living crowd in the street.
a dark poem
for a dark people
for the instant before the leaf begins
before its brain had opened a cell for the plant
before it sprouted
oozed sleep, dream after dream after dream
if only the sun had shone sooner
something would beat in the chest
and move in the depressed shoes
if only a window would open to a bird
that had wings other than to fly
wings to destroy, with difficulty and rage
wings to give birth, to rage
a dark birth for dark wings
for a window opening to the knowledge of a bullet
— to the street —
for a crowd who had hearts filled with wheat gold
but harvested the dregs of war
for those alert workers in brick-red factories
who ached to close their eyes for a minute
for the crowd who grew tired
who would sleep if to live were to be awake
who would sleep if to die were to be awake
for Adam in that moment when he laughed although worried
for Adam’s work that depended on his daughter’s handicapped heart
for Adam’s daughter’s heart that depended on her father’s work
a dark poem for a family that has forgotten sleep
on whose shoulders life is heavy as a sack of coal.
for every firewood that is charcoal
every charcoal that is a flame and
every flame that is a declaration of war
for the day they announced the suddenness of the blood
and the red velvet of the street burst in a babel
who is making their way through the crowd with a raised fist?
who is it coming from afar
who laughs wide as a dream in harmony with the wrist movements?
when the ceiling soared overhead
a sky that did not shine
did not collapse
and did not leak.
Publisher: 2023, First publication on poetryinternational.com,
"with the narrow knowledge of gunpowder"
with the narrow knowledge of gunpowder
a bullet has been shot at a street
with a mix of a deep skull with shallow fancies
a bullet has been shot at a crowd in the street
with a dead discovery of the nature of every human still alive,
a bullet has been shot at a living crowd in the street.
a dark poem
for a dark people
for the instant before the leaf begins
before its brain had opened a cell for the plant
before it sprouted
oozed sleep, dream after dream after dream
if only the sun had shone sooner
something would beat in the chest
and move in the depressed shoes
if only a window would open to a bird
that had wings other than to fly
wings to destroy, with difficulty and rage
wings to give birth, to rage
a dark birth for dark wings
for a window opening to the knowledge of a bullet
— to the street —
for a crowd who had hearts filled with wheat gold
but harvested the dregs of war
for those alert workers in brick-red factories
who ached to close their eyes for a minute
for the crowd who grew tired
who would sleep if to live were to be awake
who would sleep if to die were to be awake
for Adam in that moment when he laughed although worried
for Adam’s work that depended on his daughter’s handicapped heart
for Adam’s daughter’s heart that depended on her father’s work
a dark poem for a family that has forgotten sleep
on whose shoulders life is heavy as a sack of coal.
for every firewood that is charcoal
every charcoal that is a flame and
every flame that is a declaration of war
for the day they announced the suddenness of the blood
and the red velvet of the street burst in a babel
who is making their way through the crowd with a raised fist?
who is it coming from afar
who laughs wide as a dream in harmony with the wrist movements?
when the ceiling soared overhead
a sky that did not shine
did not collapse
and did not leak.
Publisher: 2023, First publication on poetryinternational.com,