The sky is grey

A low cloud cover makes one feel short of breath

The mood is somber and heavy

The time is in the past

When a tornado swept the land

And things were blown away and looted afterwards

When some men lost their place in society

And had to start all over again

A little dizzy from the fast pace of change and destruction

When the lives of youths were left in limbo

Making them wonder what to do

When boys became soldiers

And lives were lost in battle

When one’s political leaning

Could end one up in jail or worse

I wasn’t there during those times

But I’ve heard the stories now

And I wonder how I would have fared

Many of my friends stayed

And lived through the aftermath of the tsunami

There were injustices they witnessed

Some things seemed arbitrary at times

Those days were dark

Now, the sky is still grey

Sometime it’s hard to breathe

Sometimes it rains or it hails

Sometimes winds are strong and savage

And I wonder when there will be a little respite

July 10th, 2020

A poem about the 1979 revolution in Iran