Alas, my childhood days swiftly passed.
The many trees of the village
And the scent of muddy alleys
Still linger,
Waiting for me.
Like a migrating swallow carrying the voices of its people, the village, sleepy yet awaiting, calls upon me: \'Come.
Years have gone by without you.
Come.
With eyes full of love.
See the withered flowers and the dusty stream,
And fill the empty medowe with your hands.
We long for you.
I have waited for you for many years.
Come.
Hurry, come, gracefully.
To see once more
The pattern of happiness on the stream\'s water.
Come,
So love can reach my roots,
And happiness can endure, once again.
Come.
Look into my sorrowful eyes,
Open the windows,
So that every leaf of mine can sprout,
And I shall happily pour the nectar of heaven into your lap.\'
Shahla Latifi
June 2025