In autumn 2004, Mahmud Kianush released his collection of poems, “Of Birds and Men: Poems from a Persian Divan“, which quickly gained popularity both domestically and internationally. This remarkable work, drawing from the rich tradition of Persian poetry, skilfully utilizes various poetic forms to offer poignant commentary on contemporary society. Through verses addressing birds and encompassing themes such as dictatorship, political deceit, the toll of war in Bosnia, the allure of wealth, air travel, and the extinction of the Dodo, “Of Birds and Men” captivates readers with its profound insights into the modern human experience.
Selected Poems from this Collection
Click on the title to view the entire Poem
A Drop Of Dew
A drop of dew
Glimmering
With the colour of its base
In the silvery light of dawn
Can remind us
Of many, many things:
Its appearances depend
On who,
where,
and
In what mood we are.
Politics
Standing up in the sunshine,
I look around the world:
It is all a naked desert,
With not a single green bush
In which a small bird
Can take shelter from
The burning wind of despair,
And sing its loneliness away.
Hide-and-Seek
Every day
A new galaxy is born
In my universe
With fresh eyes of hope
Open to the old deepening darkness,
Where God keeps on hiding Himself;
And every day,
Feeling to be closer to Him,
I smile like a child
Playing hide-and-seek with his father.
Change
Having said goodbye to an old friend,
Whose new face
Set fire to my memories,
And walking through the corridors of late Autumn
I lost the warm, green Summer of my veins
To the dark, naked branches of trees,
And felt cold and barren in my head.
Innocence
What were the first words
I made and used in Paradise?
Were they Peace, Beauty, and Love?
The Red Robin’s Gospel
When the Red Robin perches
On the top of the Pomegranate Tree
I know that it has for me
A happy message from you,
And I listen with delight.
Verbal Command
According to my proverbs
I can never kill
More than two birds
With one solid stone;
In Wonder
In his vision
The whole universe
Is a blank canvas;
And his soul flows
Into his fingers.
Remembering
With the smell of the sea
Mixed with my ancient blood,
I watch the diving birds
Picking the ripened fruits
From the exuberant bushes of the waves.
Read the complete book of poems:
“Of Birds and Men: Poems from a Persian Divan“
by Mahmud Kianush
Copyright shall at all times remain vested in the Author. No part of the work shall be used, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the Author’s express written consent.
