Morning Glory | Sohrab Sepehri | Ali Salami

Past the border of my dream

The shadow of a morning glory 

Had darkened all these ruins

What intrepid wind

Carried the morning glory seed to the land of my Nod?

Beyond glass gates of dream

In the bottomless marsh of mirrors

Wherever I had taken a piece of myself

A morning glory had sprouted

Forever pouring into the void of my soul

And in the sound of its blossoming

I was forever dying in myself

 

The veranda roof caves in

And the morning glory twines about all columns

What intrepid wind

Carried this morning glory seed to the land of my Nod?

The morning glory germinates

Its stem rising out of my transparent sleep

I was in a dream

Flood of wakefulness overflowed.

To the view of my dream ruins I opened eyes:

The morning glory had twined all about my life.

I was flowing in its veins

It rooted in me

It was all of me

What intrepid wind

Carried this morning glory seed to the land of my Nod?

©Ali Salami 2017

Near A Distant Realm | Sohrab Sepehri | Ali Salami

There was a woman at the door

Standing with a body as ever

I approached her:

Her image flooded my eyes.

Speech turned into wings of passion and knowledge.

Shadow turned into sun.

 

I walk out in the sun

I was carried away by pleasing signs:

I went as far as childhood and sands

As far as delightful mistakes

As far as abstract objects

I neared picturesque waters

And trees full of pears

With an ever-present trunk

I breathed with the wet truth.

My feeling of wonder mingled with the tree.

I perceived I abutted on the throne of God

I felt a bit distraught.

Man goes to seek solace

When he feels crestfallen.

I did too.

 

I went as far as the table

The yogurt’s taste, the fresh green plants

There was bread to eat with a cup and saucer:

My throat pined for a goblet of vodka.

 

I returned:

The woman was there at the door

Standing with a body of deadly wounds.

An empty can

Kept paring away

The water’s throat.

©Ali Salami 2017