زمان – شعری از مجید نفیسی

Time

Majid Naficy

When Time comes upon us

We hide ourselves in the darkness of night,

But the white foam of the sea

Pours onto the shore.

We look at each other’s eyes in panic,

Hook our hands uselessly

In the back pockets of our pants

And pretend that nothing has happened.

When we ask each other’s birthdays

We barricade behind months of a year

And empty bottles of hair dye.

Then we share a bottle of wine

In a circle, hand to hand

And return to our bonfire.

The little girls of yesterday have not yet returned.

They have gone to town

In their father’s car

For a ride with neighbors’ sons.

The children of today jump over the fire

Oblivious to us

And eat from puffy bags of chips

Munch by munch.

The father skewers sausages onto sticks

And reminisces of his last Red Wednesday in Tehran.*

Sea gulls lurk in the dark

And listen to the colorful siren of cops.

The children climb Time fearlessly

They ride on his back,

Touch his white beard

And sometimes pluck a hair from it,

Rub their dirty fingers on his eyeglasses

And sneak sugar-cheeses

From the pockets of his robe.

Time stands still.

The children have robbed Him

But He laughs nonchalantly

And waits for a day

When He will come upon them.

        March 18, 1998

*- “Red Wednesday” (charshanbeh suri) is the last Wednesday eve of Iranian calendar when people jump over bonfires.