SHIRIN JABALAMELI
From the Heart of History
(Written during an airstrike, June 2025)
I am still here.
Eight fifty-nine p.m.
I've taken shelter in the bathroom,
where resistance has unravelled
through cracks in the wall,
the ceiling's breathless hush,
even the thin shiver of aluminum in the window frame.
The glass no longer swallows screams.
The tiles remember every blast.
And I,
folded into myself,
a formless child curled
in the womb of wrath,
wet, cold, waiting
whisper prayers
I no longer know the names of,
nor which of the seven skies might hear them.
Right Now
(Written during a night of airstrikes, June 2025)
And still, humanity stands
between fire and forgetting.
There was no past, no future,
war was right now.
Through smoke, missiles, and stairs,
amidst the ruins,
only light remained
and the shadow of a voice.
Flagless, faceless,
yet still alive.
Where do the stairs lead?
And why does the butterfly
sense betrayal
when the earth
burns so fiercely
for the sake of power?
Shirin Jabalameli is an Iranian multidisciplinary artist and poet. Her work explores the intersections of war, memory, mysticism, and intuitive creativity. She is the founder of the artistic movement “Apranikism,” which emphasizes resistance and subconscious symbolism. Her pieces have been shared internationally.
Unfortunately I have just spent the last seven days in hospital
after an injury, and haven't been able to process the September issue and will have to move it back to October. Sorry about this. I may not respond to your emails in the usual time as I am on strong meds.
It's not easy getting a book or pamphlet accepted for review these days. So in addition to the regular review section, the One Poem Review feature will allow more poets' to reach a wider audience - one poem featured from a new book/pamphlet along with a cover JPG and a link to the publisher's website. Contact the editor if you have released a book/pamphlet in the last twelve months or expect to have one published. Details here
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