Fire in San Francisco
By Majid Naficy
The sun is rising
Over the San Francisco Bay
Covered by an orange haze.
Yesterday
Thousands of people
Fled the fire.
Little Ross said:
“I told the kids:
‘Let’s take a trip.’
We took the dog and cat
And an album of photos.
The neighbor sent us the last picture
Of our burnt house.”
I know,
One can buy the other stuff.
When I fled Iran
I took only my notebook of poems
With a photo of Ezzat
In the flowerbed of her house.
“Here comes the sun and I say
It’s alright
Little darling!”*
August 20, 2020
* Here Come the Sun by The Beatles
آتش در سنفرانسیسکو
مجید نفیسی
آفتاب بالا میآید
روی خلیج سنفرانسیسکو
پوشیده با مهای نارنجی.
دیروز, هزاران نفر
از برابر آتش گریختند.
"راس" کوچک میگفت:
" به بچهها گفتم:
به سفر میرویم.
سگ و گربه را برداشتیم
با آلبومی از عکسها.
آخرین عکس را همسایه فرستاد
از خانهی سوختهمان."
میدانم,
چیزهای دیگر را
میشود خرید.
وقتی از ایران گریختم
تنها دفترچهی شعرم را برداشتم
با عکسی از عزت
در باغچهی خانهشان.
"اینک آفتاب میاید و من میگویم
همه چیز خوب است
عزیز کوچک!"*
بیستم اوت دوهزاروبیست
* از ترانهای از بیتلها
from Feriedoun Farahanduz:
Beautiful. Thank You
from Andrew:
Hi Majid. Great poem. I hope all is well.
from Firoozeh Khatibi, a radio host:
Very inspiring. I will read this in this week’s program with your permission.
from Lillian Boraks Nemet:
Dear Majid
Very apropos... the orange ball was seen here in Vancouver , Canada. One could hardly breathe for the smoke but thankfully our homes were intact.
As always your poem captures what so many of us feel. Thank you.
Warmest
Lillian
from Lloyd:
Thank you, Majid, for wrapping loss with hope.
Fare thee well, poet.