the first time I rested my eyes on your flowers
the first time I heard your name
surprise touched me inside
sudden stunning
Persian Silk Tree
Albuzia Julibrissin
Gul-i Abrisham/Silk Flower
gentle silky flowers
strong satin-like leaves
tender enduring branches
welcome a miracle of black cockatoos
were you sent here in exile
protracting the Silk Road to the south?
or did a migrant hide your root in their suitcase
with the belongings of their heart
as they fought for the love they carried?
Freedom is found when your flowers touch the ground
pink silk threads
floral dresses
girls jump over the rocks in the river in their dreams!
Freedom is in your soft silky bark
under attack, picked at, picked and broken
you still stand straight up to the sky
just like a phoenix soul
worldly, powerful as a mountain
you will be free one day!
© Asefeh Abedini, 2023
