The Persian and The Poet Cameron and Ramak share poems of love and wonder in English and Farsi

On the one year anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini, Ramak and Cameron discuss 'Pro Femina' – Ramak's brand new work on display at The Art Gallery of Ballarat as part of the Ballarat International Foto Biennale... as well as the impact of Mahsa's death and its implications for so many people.
Theme music: 'Dastgahe Homayun, Pt 2' from the album ‘Iran – Masters of Traditional Music, Vol. 1 (Persian Music)’.
Poem: 'Body under a sheet' by Cameron Semmens.
Music behind poem: 'Ascent' by Hildur Guðnadóttir from the album 'Without Sinking'.
Additional music: Rod Gear www.rodgearmusic.com
Production and editing by Cameron Semmens.
Graphic design by Ramak Bamzar.
For all things ‘The Persian and The Poet’, go to : 
https://www.facebook.com/thepersianandthepoet 
or https://www.instagram.com/the_persian_and_the_poet/

24... Woman! Life! Freedom!
Ramak and Cameron discuss the situation in Iran as of Oct 2022, and explore their creative responses to the situation.
Poem 1: 'Say Her Name' written by Cameron Semmens, September 2022. Spoken by Cameron Semmens and Ramak Bamzar. Poem 1 music: 'Lovely Bones' by Natalie Jeffreys. https://www.facebook.com/natalie.jeffreys
Poem 2: 'Soil' by Adib al-Mamalek Farahani (1860 - 1917), an Iranian poet, writer and journalist. Poem 2 music: 'Clouds' by Rod Gear, from the album 'The Wood That Sings'.
Production and editing by Cameron Semmens : www.webcameron.com 
Graphic design by Ramak Bamzar : www.ramakbamzar.com 
For all things ‘The Persian and The Poet’, go to : 
https://www.facebook.com/thepersianandthepoet 
or https://www.instagram.com/the_persian_and_the_poet/

23... Say Her Name – poem by Cameron Semmens
A poem calling for justice and freedom in Iran, written in response to the the death of Mahsa Amini in the custody of the 'morality police'.
Poem : 'Say Her Name' written by Cameron Semmens, September 2022. Spoken by Cameron Semmens and Ramak Bamzar.
Music : 'Lovely Bones' by Natalie Jeffreys. https://www.facebook.com/natalie.jeffreys
Production and editing by Cameron Semmens : www.webcameron.com 
Graphic design by Ramak Bamzar : www.ramakbamzar.com 
For all things ‘The Persian and The Poet’, go to : 
https://www.facebook.com/thepersianandthepoet 
or
https://www.instagram.com/the_persian_and_the_poet/
 
Say Her Name                            
 
hair in wind
free of scarf
men in power
crush the flower
stick to skull
skull to wall
girl on floor
blood in brain                      
say her name             
say her name
 
rose on grave
fire online
slap from hand
rose in cheek 
fire in eyes
fire in street
thorn in heart
youth abloom
rose in hand 
rise for change                     
say her name             
say her name
 
tear in eye
blur of lies
tear on tongue
taste of fear
salt in wound
sting of hate
stink of rot
taste the truth
hint of spice
hot on tongue                      
say her name             
say her name
 
fist in air
hair in wind
knife to curls
hair a flag
truth a flame
girls ablaze
death a spark
birth of new
scarf on fire
burn the ties
burn the lies                         
say her name             
say her name
 
Mahsa Amini            
Mahsa Amini            
Mahsa Amini
Mahsa Amini            
Mahsa Amini            
Mahsa Amini
Mahsa Amini            
Mahsa Amini            
Mahsa Amini

Poem 1: 'Colonisation' by Cameron Semmens; translation by Ramak Bamzar.
Music: 'On The Fly' by M. Carney.
 
Poem 2: 'Ghazal 164' by Hafez.
Music: 'Dastgahe Homayun, Pt. 3.' from the album ‘Iran – Masters of Traditional Music, Vol. 1. (Persian Music)’.
 
Additional music: 'A Warm Welcome' by Jared Haschek: jaredhaschek.com
 
Production and editing by Cameron Semmens : www.webcameron.com 
Graphic design by Ramak Bamzar : www.ramakbamzar.com 
 
For all things ‘The Persian and The Poet’, go to https://www.facebook.com/thepersianandthepoet

Cam memorialising in a poem the very first time he heard a poem spoken in Persian back in late 2019 ... it was shared by a fascinating, arty woman he'd just met ... she goes by the name of Ramak!
Poem 1 – FARSI – 'Let Us Believe in the Beginning of the Cold Season’ by Forough Farrokhzad. Music : 'Clouds' by Rod Gear from the album 'The Wood That Sings'  www.rodgearmusic.com Poem 2 – ENGLISH – 'The Spring and The Forest'  by Cameron Semmens. Music : ‘Love her and she will watch over you’ by Luke Pittman. Poem 3 – ENGLISH – 'Let Us Believe in the Beginning of the Cold Season’ by Forough Farrokhzad translated by Michael Hillmann. Music : 'Clouds' by Rod Gear from the album 'The Wood That Sings' www.rodgearmusic.com Poem 4 – FARSI – 'The Spring and The Forest'  by Cameron Semmens, translated by Ramak Bamzar. Music : ‘Love her and she will watch over you’ by Luke Pittman.  
Additional music: 'A Warm Welcome' by Jared Haschek: jaredhaschek.com 'Dastgahe Homayun, Pt 2' from the album ‘Iran – Masters of Traditional Music, Vol. 1 (Persian Music)’.
 
Production and editing – Cameron Semmens : www.webcameron.com
 
Photography and graphic design – Ramak Bamzar : www.ramakbamzar.com

The Persian: Ramak Bamzar.
The Poet: Cameron Semmens.
All poems from the book ‘Upside Drowning – poems from the edge of the ocean’, by Cameron Semmens; available through www.webcameron.com
Poem 1: ‘Listening to The Ocean’ by Cameron Semmens
Poem 2: ‘Curious Fragments of Memory’ by Cameron Semmens; music: ‘A Thousand Goodnights’ from the album: ‘Tears of The Candle’  by M. Carney.
Poem 3: ‘The Lips of The Sea’ by Cameron Semmens; music: ‘Erupting Light’ from the album ‘Without Sinking’ by Hildur Guðnadóttir & Jóhann Jóhannsson.
Poem 4: ‘The Dream of Oblivion’ by Cameron Semmens; music: ‘Circular’ from the album ‘Without Sinking’ by Hildur Guðnadóttir & Jóhann Jóhannsson.
Additional background music: ‘On The Doorstep’ and ‘A Warm Welcome’ by Jared Haschek: jaredhaschek.com
Production and editing by Cameron Semmens : www.webcameron.com 
Graphic design by Ramak Bamzar : www.ramakbamzar.com 
For all things ‘The Persian and The Poet’, go to https://www.facebook.com/thepersianandthepoet