Fevziye Rahgozar Barlas

Written for women in Afghanistan.
From ...and the Heavens are my Father (September 2001)

MY WORLD

WAITING FOR A MIRACLE

I AM NATURE

I AM IN LOVE

My world

Where is the ear
to hear my cries?

Where is the eye
to see my tears?

I am the ashes of a hopeless fire
Where is the wind
to refresh my flames?

I am a silent Darvish
sitting in the cell of my grief

Where is the flute
to sing my sorrows?

Waiting For a Miracle

I chanted the dazzling song of the spring
in the color yellow
The roots of the green wood
dried from sorrow
I am waiting for a miracle
till the scent of the dried leaves
sings the melody of rain
to the ears of the wind
I am waiting for a miracle
the green miracle of spring

I am nature

I am nature
I am fall and I am winter
blooms gave me life
in the spring
the sun gave me wisdom
in the summer
fall gave me a crimson longing
for the white of winter
I am the nature
With all my despair, I am winter

I am in Love

I am in love, I am in love, I am in love
you, the parched pieces of my body
you, the unfilled freedom of my senses

grow hot, boiling, steaming
for I am the fire, I am the fire, I am the fire

You, my wandering eyes
gaze. gaze, and  gaze
He is the flower, he is the trees
He is the earth, he is the heavens
He is the water, he is the air

Perhaps he is God
I do not know, I do not know, I do not know

Bio: Fevziye Rahgozar Barlas was born in Balkh.  She is the daughter of the famous Afghan journalist, poet and novelist, M. Shafee Rahgozar.  She completed her higher education in Istanbul, Turkey, on Turkish and English Literature.  In 1985 she got a job within Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty in Munich and became a member of the German Journalist Association.  At Radio Free Europe, she received an award from Former President Bill Clinton.  Her books of  Persian poetry include, Wonderland and The Heavens are my Father.  Barlas’ writing career is divided among journalism, short story writing and poetry.  She is a Ph.D student at the University of Washington at the moment.

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