Farideh Hassanzadeh -Mostafavi

Persona poem for relieving a suffering conscience

I personally prefer to write my persona poems in borrowed names, simply because we still live in a world that readers prefer to read poet's story more that poetry, itself.
Few years ago I borrowed my own daughter's name to write a poem to show my deep regret for punishing her ,who was a little innocent girl . I could never forgive myself for my cruelty and writing this poem on my daughter's behalf and to publish it in her own book of poems ,in her own name , was the only way for me to relieve my conscience . When her book published many , many readers wrote to me to blame me and I thought I took revenge of myself in best way !

Remember !

If the sight of my tears
never touches you,
If the frightened beating of my heart
never touches you,
If the red prints of your hands on my face
never touches you,
Then,
when you go to your room
and shut the door behind
so that the gray clouds of your cigarette
do not harm me and my brother
when you open one of your books of poetry
and begin to read,
At least,
look at my school uniform
hanging in front of your eyes
on the knob of the door!
See how little the hands are!
See how tiny the neck appears!
See how helpless the buttons have become
of being closed and opened everyday!
Only then, you may feel sorry for me.
And remember!
I am just a little child
given to you as a gift from God
for you to love me
at least as much as
the smoke of your cigarette
or your books of poetry!