By Mohammad Ali Maleki
(edited by Michele Seminara)
I travel at the speed of electricity and wind
to depression and hopelessness.
I’m fed up with this miserable life —
I’ll be glad to rest under the soil.
The grave is my only remaining desire now.
I swear to God, one day I will have my justice.
You’ve dislodged me from your country without mercy.
You’ve tortured me in this hellish place.
I have suffered so much because of you!
Before coming here I enjoyed
the sweetest time in my life.
I would give flowers to my love
and blow out candles on my birthday cake.
I would close my eyes and make a wish:
a wish to live in your town —
because I mistakenly imagined that’s where freedom lay.
I fled my Eastern Motherland
and flew to your Promised Land.
I crossed the skies and countries.
I crossed the rivers and seas.
I crossed the plains and jungles —
I risked my life.
Landing here I finally thought
I’d found security.
I submitted my tired body to you
so that you might give it rest.
I didn’t know that you would give me
sorrow instead of happiness
and moans instead of song.
That you’d turn my laughter to tears
and dreams to fears.
I don’t want to live in this torture cage any longer!
Instead of granting my wish, you’ve trapped me in this.
Photo credit to Sergey Ponomarev
