Vox Populi
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Majid Naficy: Stomach Ulcer
The night that Father packed his suitcase
To travel to America
I ran to the alley shops
And bought a package of barberry candies
So when his stomach ached
He could put a candy in his mouth.
.
Every time that he wrote us a letter from America
He always updated the number
Of consumed candies on the top:
“Today I ate the tenth candy of Majid.”
.
When returning to Iran
Father brought me a pair of red earmuffs.
We went to mountains on Fridays
And if the snow had covered the ground
I would put on my earmuffs
And he, who always had a handful of pistachios in his pocket
For relieving his stomach pain,
Sometimes gave me one too.
Copyright 2024 Majid Naficy.
Majid Naficy is the author of many books in Persian and in English, including Father & Son published by Red Hen and My American Love: Thirty-Two Poems for Wendy published by Aftab Publication, Norway.
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How simply narrated, how very moving…Beautiful!
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Yes, I like the simple directness of Majid’s poems.
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“Today I ate the tenth candy of Majid.” Such a tender feeling. The poem is so simple, so powerful. Thank you for choosing it.
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