That Tall poet with Red scarf / by; Mahnaz Badihian

 That Tall poet with Red scarf

One needs to be quiet to internalize

 The very essence of his beliefs,

His amazing love for people

And his true hate for war!

Which is all obvious in his art ,

 His behavior and the way of living!

For one week i lived in his intense emotion

 For communism and his hate for Capitalism,

 When i was translating his long poems

“ The Soviet Cenotaph Arcane“

And i woke up from the night mare of dying leftist ideology!

I was touched by his kindness towards individuals,

 Who were otherwise ignored by others.

I was moved by his response when i offered

 To give him set of new teeth and he, J.H,

 With a kind ,humble voice replied:

” No, I am fine like this. I like it!”

J.H: I even like you this way!

How amazing it is that you look like my father,

Tall, handsome, with loving eyes,

Gentle voice and that nose!

Have no doubt J.H, that your class struggle

 Helped many Saplings to rise with their words,

And to be brave with their pen and poetry!

And now I am wondering how desolate and empty,

 North Beach in San Francisco will feel to me

 Without that tall man with red scarf and wild white hair.

Without his graceful walking from city lights

To go to cafe Trieste to meet with many friends,

 Young poets and those who admire him

with him, every day

His beautiful Swedish wife, Poet, Agneta,

side by side like two poplar trees,

 Emerging lovingly!

 

 Mahnaz Badihian