Rooftops of Tehran

Title Page, Copyright, Dedication, Acknowledgments

1 Rooftops of Tehran 2 This page intentionally left blank. 3 Rooftops of Tehran poems Sholeh Wolpé RED HEN PRESS | Los Angeles, California 4 Rooftops of Tehran Copyright © 2008 by Sholeh Wolpé All rights reserved No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without the prior written permission of both the publisher and the copyright owner. Book design by Mark E. Cull ISBN: 978-1-59709-110-7 Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2007943020 The City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, Los Angeles County Arts Commission, California Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts partially support Red Hen Press. First Edition Published by Red Hen Press www.redhen.org 5 For my aunts, Ghamar, Shamsi, Guitty, Shaherzad, and Iren And, for my dear JWT 6 Acknowledgments Iran is home to a beautiful ancient culture and a resilient, gracious people. United States is a country of men and women I deeply admire, and a government that in essence, and at its best, strives for justice,democracy and equality.Sometimes in crying out injustices,we do not often enough speak about human kindness, goodness and beauty—ever-present and everywhere . . . this is the thread that holds these dark poems together. Many thanks go to my editor, Kate Gale, and publisher, Mark Cull, for their tireless efforts to represent diverse voices.In a world divided and darkened by prejudice and misunderstandings, literature can serve as a beacon of light facilitating constructive dialogue among those with opposing views. Small visionary presses like Red Hen Press help make this possible through publishing and supporting alternative views and voices. I also thank and acknowledge the editors of the following journals and anthologies in which versions of these poems appeared: Evensong: Contemporary Poems of Spirituality;Yellow asTurmeric,Fragrant as Cloves—An anthology of AsianAmerican Female Poets;Inlandia:A Literary JourneyThrough California’s Inland Empire;The OtherVoices InternationalAnthology;The Poetry of IranianWomen:A ContemporaryAnthology;Di-verse-city,TheAustin International Poetry FestivalAnthology 2005;Poemeleon; TheNovember3rdClub;TheOtherVoicesInternational;r.kv.r.yQuarterly Journal; Washington Square; Tupelo Press Poetry Project; ArteEast; Ash Canyon Review; and Exiled Ink. A special thanks to Barrie Wexler for his wisdom, encouragement and kindness. ...