From the Island of Courage and Serenity

From the Island of Courage and Serenity
Qeshm Island - Dargahan (the south of south - Iran)
Thinly peopled and silent..........

Dargahan is a tiny island in the far south of Iran – there was no library until the year 2000 when Amineh Daryanavard turned one of the classes of the primary school into small library. In the island girl’s enrolment was allowed only up to fourth grade. At present, at the age of 28, she is about to finish her high school heading for university.

She is a poet:

My non being

Shadow of the trees
Houses
People
Non-shadow of my being
I close my eyes
I turn to breeze

For the most non shadow other than me
I turn to monument
Standing for years

The traveler did not take picture
With his shadow

Where am I?
I ask the non being; do you know the shadow
He doesn’t

I ask my native
Shaping its shadow

I ask the island
With its non shadowy waves

I ask the poet
Far away from the sun
He knows the secret of non shadow of being
Hence, not being and my non being


Translation: Nasrin Azadeh