Rubáiyát (part)
Alone amongst the legs, the trade is slow,
A boy sells you weight for a coin or so —
To make a living, such as is, but I am well fed
And so turn away; I do not want to know.
A boy sells you weight for a coin or so —
To make a living, such as is, but I am well fed
And so turn away; I do not want to know.
.
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© 2018 J Cosmo Newbery
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I have been holidaying in Iran.
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Holidaying in Iran, I read and reread Omar Khayyam and put a few things to quatrains. A more complete collection in due course.
ReplyDeleteThe image is so sad....
ReplyDeleteAh - we sometimes turn away rather than enduring the pain of knowing.
ReplyDeleteSometimes reality can be painful to face and endure..
ReplyDeleteAn honest poem!
ReplyDeleteSo nice to see you, Cosmo. I can imagine you saw many such children in Iran. And i'll bet many of them received coins from you. Smiles.
ReplyDeleteI know the feeling... so easy to look the other way (and sometimes it's the right decision too)... Life is not fair.
ReplyDeleteA poem to lodge in heart and head.
ReplyDeleteMy partner loved it in Iran (despite such sadnesses) and has been back several times.
ReplyDeleteThat is so "entrepreneur" of the fellow. Your piece is taken to heart.
ReplyDeleteZQ
If we knew, our hearts would very likely break. But sometimes we need to be courageous, face our sadness and its companion, anger, when we come across such things. Because without the recognition that something is very wrong, nothing can change.
ReplyDeleteExcellently succinct. Bravo for the observation, and for your project of writing in Rubaiyat quatrains. (You make me want to try them too!)
ReplyDeleteAnd of course, you chose a most appropriate place to do so! :)
DeleteImpactful and moving - a profound execution of that - oft forgotten - truism (poetic and otherwise) … sometimes less is more.
ReplyDeleteWell I would be a sucker and get myself weighed, hoping that as soon as I had gone some minder didn't come to collest the cash.
ReplyDeleteOops! 'Collect' is the correct word above!
DeleteInteresting. The well-fed don't want to know and the starving don't need to know--so what's a poor boy to do?
ReplyDeleteThis is wonderfully done... so much in such few words.
ReplyDeleteThis tugs at the heart, great little poem.
ReplyDeleteHow easy it is to close our eyes and mind and turn away. I think we are all guilty of it.
ReplyDeleteAnna :o]
The image of the small boy in your opening line is really clever, JC
ReplyDeleteThank for dropping by my sumi-e Sunday this week
much love...