“We all wear masks
to veil the truth.
Truth is nakedness.
Truth is fear.
Truth is the gardener
making you sit on
his lap
asking you to
light his cigarette.
Truth is father—
with a limp cigarette on his lips
— telling you to never
use his matches
to light it for him.
Truth is father
yelling:
“It is not
nice for little girls
to do so.”
Truth is a curious girl
wanting to
ignite a match
like a woman.
Truth is the maid watching
from the kitchen,
knowing.
But knowing isn’t truth.
Truth is the maid calling:
“Come. Come.”
Truth is the gardener understanding.
But understanding isn’t truth.
Truth is the maid saying,
“Stay away!”
Truth is a girl thinking
she is in control.
That nothing happened,
nothing bad.
But the truest truth
is a girl knowing,
a girl understanding, that
on that day
someone stole
a little piece of her
truth.”

Kamand Kojouri

“For all these stars,
nothing is new.
They’ve seen all kinds of wars
and miracles, too.

They know the messengers with their holy books
will smile and wash their hands in blood.
They know the politicians with their good looks
will make the poor eat pies of mud.

They’ve seen the Earth freeze
and then burn with greed.
They’ve seen the trees
and the seas emptied.

Yet, you won’t hear their sneers
when a man arrives
and, having experienced a number of years,
proclaims: ‘I have lived!’

Because nothing is new under these stars:
the lies, the love, the memories and scars,
the ruin, the revolution, the fakes and true,
the families, the friends, none of it is new.
All of it—even the me and you.”

Kamand Kojouri

“You do not have to be beautiful.
You do not even have to be intelligent.
All you have to do is practice kindness,
for that is our purpose.”

Kamand Kojouri