Gracefully she approached

Gracefully she approached,
in a dress of bright blue silk;
With an olive branch in her hand,
and many tales of sorrows in her eyes.
Running to her, I greeted her,
and took her hand in mine:
Pulses could still be felt in her veins;
warm was still her body with life.

"But you are dead, mother", I said;
"Oh, many years ago you died!"
Neither of embalmment she smelled,
Nor in a shroud was she wrapped.

I gave a glance at the olive branch;
she held it out to me,
And said with a smile,
"It is the sign of peace; take it."

I took it from her and said,
"Yes, it is the sign of...", when
My voice and peace were broken
by the violent arrival of a horseman.
He carried a dagger under his tunic
with which he shaped the olive branch
Into a rod and looking at it
he said to himself:
"Not too bad a cane
for punishing the sinners!"
A real image of a hellish pain!
Then, to hide the rod,
He opened his saddlebag.
in there, O God!
I saw a dead dove, with a string tied
round its broken neck.

My mother walked away with anger and sorrow;
my eyes followed her;
Like the mourners she wore
a dress of black silk.

~Simin Behbahani

See the Axis of Logic story of Simin Behbahani's appearance in New Jersey at Noor Va Danesh along with accolades and photographs

Simin Behbahani
Photo by: Masoud Soheili

Simin's Poetical Works

The Broken Lute [Seh-tar-e Shekasteh, 1951]

Footprint [Ja-ye Pa, 1954]

Chandelier [Chelcheragh, 1955]

Marble [Marmar, 1961]

Resurrection [Rastakhiz, 1971]

A Line of Speed and Fire [Khatti ze Sor'at va Atash, 1980]

Arzhan Plain [Dasht-e Arzhan, 1983]

Paper Dress [Kaghazin Jameh, 1992]

A Window of freedom [Yek Daricheh Azadi, 1995]

Collected Poems [Tehran 2003]