MAGIC SUITCASE
by: shahnaz A'lami
I took with me a suitcase,
light, very light,
Two or three sets of baby clothes,
A white georgette dress,
An indistinct photograph of my mother,
wearing a headdress,
And a complete list of traditional things
for the Noe-Rooz's celebrations,
Lest a single thing should be forgotten;
These were what I had,
or rather, people thought I had,
in my suitcase
With which I left the land
of the generous sun.
My suitcase was,
or rather, people thought it was,
very, very light;
But what a big mistake!
You must have seen the shows
of professional magicians;
They put their fingers
up their sleeves,
And take out whatever you may name:
Birds, rabbits, kerchiefs of all colours,
Sometimes a crystal jug,
Sometimes a piece of stone,
Fire, water, soil,
Flowers, thorns and many other things;
So was my empty magic suitcase.
*****
Now it has been almost a lifetime
That from inside the same suitcase
I have been taking out anything I want:
Wonderful springs of Isfahan
And its exhilarating groves
in the outskirts;
The colourful autumn of Shiraz
And the fragrance of its orange trees;
The ancient ruins of Persepolis;
The Baghestan Mountain
with its historical inscriptions;
The Palace of Princess Shirin;
The poor village of Cham in Na'in;
The tattered dress of Fatima,
a peasant little girl,
And a flock of other children like her,
Who are all in the same suitcase.
****
I take them out;
I sit and talk with them;
I live with them;
And the moment someone appears,
They all run back into the suitcase,
The very suitcase which people think
must be very light
and almost empty.
*****
When I make my will
I will ask for my suitcase
to be buried with me.
No doubt they will say:
"Her life was madness;
And her will is foolish!
What sort of will is that!
Who needs a suitcase
in the other world?"
****
Let them say whatever they like;
After all,
who does know the secret
of the professional magician of love?
****
Is it not true that love
is the astrolabe of God's mysteries?