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Iranian women's voices

Flesh

A poem by Sepideh Jodeyri writing from her present home in Washington D.C.

by Sepideh Jodeyri

8th September 2025
Water lilies in a pond.
Photograph by Missohio Studio
"And you say, how cool and juicy is my flesh."

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سپیده جدیری

دهانت درّه کرد
و من
برایت شکست‌های پیاپی از قَسَم خوردَنَم
تنم       از شکافته‌هاست
چشمِ شیرینی دارد گاهی
شیرین
و سنگین.

تنم کار می‌کند
مثلِ دل
و مثلِ ساعت
مثلِ شنیدن که از بوی تو رفته است
سوی تو رفته است.

همه چیز
غرق در حرف‌های سنگینی‌ست
که گوشت ندارد
من گوشت دارم
و خندیدن
تا بلندترین جایِ تن
گوشت به پایین است.

سَراسَرترین حرفی که می‌زنیم
رانِ کوتاهِ گرانبهایی‌ست
و دست‌های عمیقِ تو
به جای کسی نمی‌رسد.

من اهلِ باد و برق‌های تو نیستم
یک روز، مرگم را جمع کن
و بریز گوشه‌ای.

شکلِ شکلاتی‌ام در دهانت گوشتْ شدنی‌ست
دهانت گوشتْ شدنی‌ست

دل‌های تَک تَک‌ام را بُرده است
و من کنارِ یک سنگِ بزرگ،
نشانه‌ی نزدنم.

چشم‌های گوشتالو
دهان‌های گوشتالو
نسلِ گوشتالو ام کنارِ گوشت‌ها باد کرده است
کنارِ همین گوشه
که می‌توانسته باشد
که آب‌هایش گیاهی‌ست
که بوسه‌هایش گیاهی‌ست
و سکس‌هایش.

تمامِ دوازده سالگی‌ام
به چشم‌های سیاهی بود
که می‌توانسته باشد،
که به چشمِ کسی
دست نمی‌زد.

قناری است قفس
من توی قناری شدن،
قفس‌تَرینم.

ده تا ده تا کنارِ غروب‌های دنج نشستم
کنارِ غروب‌های شلوغ
و فرسوده
و فرسودن     چه شور دارد      و فرسودن.

چقدر خمیازه‌هایت یک صداست
به وقت‌ْترین جایِ تَن.

غریب از پُشت آمده است
مثلِ خنجر
درست از پُشت آمده است
گروهْ گروه     سُرّیده در سَراسَر.

مثلِ انگشتی که سَر ندارد    برایت عجیب است.

شکافتنْ
یک غروب را
و طلوعْ زدن
برایت عجیب است.

هفته‌هاست به نحوی که هفته‌هاست
در دهانم نگه می‌دارم به نحوی که نگاه است
از این طرف
به آن طرفِ نگاه نکردنی
به آن فرازِ بزرگ
و غروبگر.

دلم تو را می‌خواهد
ای فرازِ بزرگ
و غروبگر!

و می‌گویی چه گوشتْ سردم و آبدار.

به گوش‌هایی که می‌سپارم
از پشتِ سر
از جلو
که موش می‌زنم،
به حرف‌های قلب‌ْزده‌ات
و دنده‌های قلب‌ْزده‌ات
و پاهای قلب‌ْزده‌ات
و آنجای قلب‌ْزده‌ات،
قَسَم!
چه گوشتْ سرد و آبدار!

و پرچمش بلندتر است از گورهای دسته‌جمعی
بخواب ای عشق‌های دسته‌جمعی! بخواب!
بخواب ای فرمانده!
که دستورهایت مو به موست
که بوسه‌هایت مو به موست
که چشم‌هایت مو به موست

من برایت قرنِ بزرگ‌تری بودم
قرنی تمامْ فلزی.

 

Flesh

Sepideh Jodeyri

Translated by Payam Hassanzadeh Ghalebsaz

 

Your mouth turned into a valley,
And I
In sequence, tasted the defeat of my swears
My body is riddled with fissures
Sometimes, it has the sweet allure of an eye,
Sweet,
And heavy.

My body works,
Like a heart,
And like a clock,
Like listening that has moved from your scent
Towards you.

Everything
Is submerged in weighty words
That have no flesh,
I have flesh,
And laughter,
Which reaches the highest point of the body,
Flesh lies beneath.

The most comprehensive words we speak
Are heavy-set, short thighs,
And your deep hands
Reach out to no one else.

I am not of your wind and lightning,
One day, gather my death,
And pour it into a corner.

My chocolatey form is becoming flesh in your mouth,
Your mouth is becoming flesh.

My singular hearts have been carried away,
And I, beside a large stone,
Am a target for not being shot.

Eyes full of flesh,
Mouths full of flesh,
My fleshly generation has swelled beside the flesh,
Right beside this corner,
That could have been,
Its waters could have been vegetation,
Its kisses could have been vegetation,
And its love acts.

All twelve years of my life
Were in black eyes,
That could have been,
That would not catch anyone’s eye.

The canary is a cage,
In becoming a canary,
I’m most caged.

I sat ten by ten beside tranquil sunsets,
Beside bustling and worn-out sunsets,
And weariness has such a thrill, weariness.

How your yawns have one sound
At the timeliest spot of the body.

A stranger has come from behind,
Like a dagger,
Exactly from behind,
Slipping group by group, all over.

Like a finger without a head, it is strange to you.

To break a sunset,
And dawn,
Is strange to you.

Weeks have been in such a way,
In my mouth, I hold it like a gaze,
From this side,
To the other side of the ungazed,
To that great height,
And sunsetter.

My heart wants you,
Oh great height,
And sunsetter!

And you say, how cool and juicy is my flesh.

To the ears that I offer,
From the back of the head,
From the front,
Where I gnaw like a mouse
Your heart-struck words,
Your heart-struck ribs,
Your heart-struck feet,
And that heart-struck private part of yours,
I swear!
How cool and juicy is the flesh!

And its flag is taller than mass graves,
Sleep, oh collective loves! Sleep!
Sleep, oh commander!
Your orders are detailed, like discerning a strand of hair from another,
Your kisses are detailed, like discerning a strand of hair
from another,
Your eyes are detailed, like discerning a strand of hair from another,

For you, I was a larger century,
A century entirely metallic.

© Sepideh Jodeyri

Sepideh Jodeyri

Sepideh Jodeyri

Sepideh Jodeyri is an Iranian poet, critic and translator.

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