Dr. Rafey Habib has written a great many poems that have been subsequently video recorded. For me, this one is strikingly moving, meaningful, beautiful, and timely.
Thank you Dr. Rafey.
A Poem for Neda (Elections in Iran): By Dr. Rafey Habib
Neda.
Sweet voice,
Of freedom, unborn.
Your state totters.
A colour revolution.
Green, for life,
Of reason, faith;
Red for blood,
The price you paid.
And you have shown
Your colour, you
Whose voices rise
Above your people
Who cast your black sky
Over all voices;
Who hide behind
Batons, water, tear-gas;
Who cringe
Behind your flag.
Tears will find you out.
And you too, show
Your colour, who flirt
With freedoms name;
Who smile unshamed
As tyrants old or new
Play your cards for you.
Tears will blind your smiles.
You who love
Your daughters, sons,
Let the green of earth be
Your colour:
Let your love give birth
To the Islam which your poets dreamed.
Let your voice, which sang
Before, of golden Persia,
In Saadi, Hafez, Rumi,
Now return, to sing
Our future.
Let your sweet voice
Sing from the cold earth
Of sweet democracy
Buried in its birth.
Dreaming to be
Born.
Daughter, sweet voice
Of the new Iran:
Neda.
Filmed by: Chris Barrett
Special thanks: Elizabeth Licorish
About Neda Agha-Soltan:
The death of Neda Agha-Soltan drew international attention when her shooting, during the 2009 Iranian election protests, was captured on video by bystanders and broadcast over the internet.[6] The video quickly became a rallying point for the reformist opposition. Nedā is also the the Persian word for "voice", "calling" or "divine message," and she has been referred to as the "voice of Iran".
source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neda_(Iranian_protester)
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