Trout Poem by Ali Ehsanizadeh

You are like me, O luminous moon—
lonely and sorrowful,
sitting on your dark veranda.

Sit!
Sit and raise a cup
to the cup of sorrow.

And listen—
to the deep lament
of a bird
too broken to sing its own song.

You gave your heart
to the white blossom of a lily
in the mountain's hollow.

And this unseen bird—
to a tiny brook
evaporating in fear
of summer's heat.

And I—
I am a sorrowful trout
in the fish market,
missing my river
with all my heart.

— Ali Ehsani-Zadeh