Springhead is alive! / For Nelson Mandela/ by: Mahnaz Badihian

Springhead is alive!
For Nelson Mandela

The departure of South Africa’s eagle
Was the rebirth of sorrow for my motherland, Iran
And its eagles who died under the thunder
Of bullets and the harsh prisons!
The footsteps of father figures are replaced by
The beast of execution and street hangings and rapes

I, who am the child of aroma of
Almond and pomegranate gardens,
Now live in exile, asking myself often:
Where are our Mandelas?
Why they don’t rise up
To wipe out our streets from dead verses
From lies and deceives.

To help street kids, with no shelter,
To be helping hands for abused women

Don’t doubt for a second that springhead is dried!
Must be patient till renewal
Till the uprising of hundreds of Mandelas *
Till the gaining of strengths of thousands of Saeed soltanpours**

by; Mahnaz Badihian

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** Saeed Soltanpour was a poet, thinker who was executed by Iranian regime on his wedding night!