{"id":80,"date":"2022-08-04T13:55:34","date_gmt":"2022-08-04T17:55:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.upei.ca\/artsreviewxii\/chapter\/containandconfrontintroduction\/"},"modified":"2023-06-25T13:23:04","modified_gmt":"2023-06-25T17:23:04","slug":"the-silence","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.upei.ca\/artsreview-xii\/chapter\/the-silence\/","title":{"raw":"The Silence","rendered":"The Silence"},"content":{"raw":"Abstract:<\/strong> This poem centers on the oppressive nature of the Iranian government\u2019s laws on homosexuality. Within their law, those who are not heterosexual can be punished either by death or by gender reassignment surgery, which implies that changing the gender of a homosexual person will make the person heterosexual by default. This poem is written from the perspective of a queer Iranian person addressing their oppressive government. The poem focuses on conveying the thoughts and emotions that might be experienced when being put in such an impossible situation.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nThe silence awakens a part of me that I sometimes wish didn\u2019t exist.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nThe part that makes me dangerous and hunted,\r\n\r\nAn outcast,\r\n\r\nAn enemy,\r\n\r\nA fugitive within my own country.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nOn sleepless nights\r\n\r\nI imagine being a bird,\r\n\r\nUntouchable and free in skies above,\r\n\r\nTruly safe.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nIs that too much to ask for?\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nI have hurt no one,\r\n\r\nYet I am the villain.\r\n\r\nMy crime of existence is somehow worse\r\n\r\nThan your crime of taking my life.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nIf my life is too important to lose,\r\n\r\nYou, the government, graciously suggest\r\n\r\nThat I could change my body.\r\n\r\nBut that is far more cruel.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nYou are correct,\r\n\r\nI could change my body.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nBut then it would no longer be mine,\r\n\r\nIt would be yours.\r\n\r\nJust like everything else.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nI could give up my identity,\r\n\r\nMy entire sense of self,\r\n\r\nFor the simple chance to breathe the morning air.\r\n\r\nBut what is that if not a cage of my own making?\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nYou act as my judge, my jury, my executioner.\r\n\r\nYou determine my punishment:\r\n\r\nA life of questionable existence\r\n\r\nOr no existence at all.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nMy choice is clear,\r\n\r\nI don\u2019t have one.\r\n\r\nGiving up my self or giving up my life:\r\n\r\nAre they not one in the same?\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nWhy do you get to decide who lives and who dies?\r\n\r\nWhy must I plead at your feet,\r\n\r\nTo beg for mercy and claim ignorance,\r\n\r\nOnly for the chance to see tomorrow?\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nTo fight you is exhausting.\r\n\r\nI am always outnumbered,\r\n\r\nI never win.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nIf I were you,\r\n\r\nAnd you were me,\r\n\r\nWould you finally understand what you ask of me?\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nWould you finally understand what you\u2019ve done,\r\n\r\nThe horrors you\u2019ve caused,\r\n\r\nThe lives you\u2019ve ruined?\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nYou can hunt us down,\r\n\r\nYou can eradicate us from our country,\r\n\r\nBut we will always exist.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nSomewhere,\r\n\r\nFar from your reach,\r\n\r\nWe will exist.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nFar from your archaic ideals,\r\n\r\nWe love openly and without fear,\r\n\r\nAnd we exist.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nBut leaving is not so easy;\r\n\r\nEscape is not always possible.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nThere are things,\r\n\r\nThere are people,\r\n\r\nThat we cannot leave behind.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nWe exist even when we cannot leave.\r\n\r\nWhen we cannot run.\r\n\r\nWe exist when we hide in the shadows.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nJust because you cannot see us,\r\n\r\nDoes not mean that we are not here.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nThe ghosts of my people are screaming.\r\n\r\nThe survivors are screaming.\r\n\r\nWe are screaming.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nWhy can\u2019t anyone hear us?\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nThe gods remain silent.\r\n\r\nThe world remains silent.\r\n\r\nIran remains silent.\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nWhen will it end?","rendered":"

Abstract:<\/strong> This poem centers on the oppressive nature of the Iranian government\u2019s laws on homosexuality. Within their law, those who are not heterosexual can be punished either by death or by gender reassignment surgery, which implies that changing the gender of a homosexual person will make the person heterosexual by default. This poem is written from the perspective of a queer Iranian person addressing their oppressive government. The poem focuses on conveying the thoughts and emotions that might be experienced when being put in such an impossible situation.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The silence awakens a part of me that I sometimes wish didn\u2019t exist.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The part that makes me dangerous and hunted,<\/p>\n

An outcast,<\/p>\n

An enemy,<\/p>\n

A fugitive within my own country.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

On sleepless nights<\/p>\n

I imagine being a bird,<\/p>\n

Untouchable and free in skies above,<\/p>\n

Truly safe.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Is that too much to ask for?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I have hurt no one,<\/p>\n

Yet I am the villain.<\/p>\n

My crime of existence is somehow worse<\/p>\n

Than your crime of taking my life.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

If my life is too important to lose,<\/p>\n

You, the government, graciously suggest<\/p>\n

That I could change my body.<\/p>\n

But that is far more cruel.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

You are correct,<\/p>\n

I could change my body.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

But then it would no longer be mine,<\/p>\n

It would be yours.<\/p>\n

Just like everything else.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

I could give up my identity,<\/p>\n

My entire sense of self,<\/p>\n

For the simple chance to breathe the morning air.<\/p>\n

But what is that if not a cage of my own making?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

You act as my judge, my jury, my executioner.<\/p>\n

You determine my punishment:<\/p>\n

A life of questionable existence<\/p>\n

Or no existence at all.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

My choice is clear,<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t have one.<\/p>\n

Giving up my self or giving up my life:<\/p>\n

Are they not one in the same?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Why do you get to decide who lives and who dies?<\/p>\n

Why must I plead at your feet,<\/p>\n

To beg for mercy and claim ignorance,<\/p>\n

Only for the chance to see tomorrow?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

To fight you is exhausting.<\/p>\n

I am always outnumbered,<\/p>\n

I never win.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

If I were you,<\/p>\n

And you were me,<\/p>\n

Would you finally understand what you ask of me?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Would you finally understand what you\u2019ve done,<\/p>\n

The horrors you\u2019ve caused,<\/p>\n

The lives you\u2019ve ruined?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

You can hunt us down,<\/p>\n

You can eradicate us from our country,<\/p>\n

But we will always exist.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Somewhere,<\/p>\n

Far from your reach,<\/p>\n

We will exist.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Far from your archaic ideals,<\/p>\n

We love openly and without fear,<\/p>\n

And we exist.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

But leaving is not so easy;<\/p>\n

Escape is not always possible.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

There are things,<\/p>\n

There are people,<\/p>\n

That we cannot leave behind.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

We exist even when we cannot leave.<\/p>\n

When we cannot run.<\/p>\n

We exist when we hide in the shadows.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Just because you cannot see us,<\/p>\n

Does not mean that we are not here.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The ghosts of my people are screaming.<\/p>\n

The survivors are screaming.<\/p>\n

We are screaming.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Why can\u2019t anyone hear us?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The gods remain silent.<\/p>\n

The world remains silent.<\/p>\n

Iran remains silent.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When will it end?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":114,"menu_order":9,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":["isabella-bradley"],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[50],"contributor":[89],"license":[],"class_list":["post-80","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry","chapter-type-numberless","contributor-isabella-bradley"],"part":51,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.upei.ca\/artsreview-xii\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/80","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.upei.ca\/artsreview-xii\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.upei.ca\/artsreview-xii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.upei.ca\/artsreview-xii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/114"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.upei.ca\/artsreview-xii\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/80\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":268,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.upei.ca\/artsreview-xii\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/80\/revisions\/268"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.upei.ca\/artsreview-xii\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/51"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.upei.ca\/artsreview-xii\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/80\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.upei.ca\/artsreview-xii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=80"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.upei.ca\/artsreview-xii\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=80"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.upei.ca\/artsreview-xii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=80"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.upei.ca\/artsreview-xii\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=80"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}