Neda Agha-Soltan (1982 - 2009)

A piano has arrived for Neda Agha-Soltan <> it was ordered
before she fell in the street <> its delivery could not be undone
<> angels dressed in light unloaded it outside her parent’s home
<> unloaded it from a ball of lightning <> it is made from smoke
dense as wood <> the Basij militia who came to remove it fell
into its body of fog <> they are heard since as a chorus of remorse
<> Neda sits at a stool made all woven of lily stems <> she sits
on a seat of lily trumpets <> she touches a key of the piano
and the Basij are stilled <> Neda is modest under her veil of blood
<> the veil she was given by a piercing bullet <> she is modest
as she touches the keys <> the country is healed by the music
she plays <> for she never sleeps now <> nor eats <> Neda will
play her piano of smoke <> her neighbours dance in the street <>
only the just can dance to her tune <> only the righteous can hear
her play <> the unrighteous will wither from lack of song <> Neda
sings as she plays <> for her name means voice <> her name
means call <> her song is a call <> the just hear it and dance <>
Neda touches a key and the Basij confess <> forever the Basij
trapped in smoke <> chorus their remorse <> Neda’s piano plays
for the righteous <> plays a curse for the unjust <> blesses all those
who dance in the street <> their dancing cannot be undone