Colour of Freedom hopes to raise awareness towards the recent social changes in Iran that inspired hundreds of millions of people across the world to join hands in support of human rights. It is my humble attempt to stand in solidarity with all those who fought for freedom, especially the people of Iran, who bravely poured into the streets of Tehran to retrieve their basic rights. It honours the innocent lives, trampled under the boots of tyranny. It honours the families, who now weep the absence of their loved ones, killed or arrested for their love of peace. It is dedicated to the green human chain that decorated the longest streets of Tehran, and many large cities around the world (including Vancouver).
Taken from Freedom, a poem by Marina Nemat (1965-)
The streets of Tehran Cannot remember the colour of freedom, For even the pavement of alleyways Is crimson red.
Freedom is the colour of water, And it dripped through our fingers Till all that was left was thirst. But seeds of light Remain in the depths of darkness And will grow when droplets of hope Find their way through layers of cruelty.
Sunlight carries the psalm of the sky Through an Angel, His transparent hands clenched in prayer, Concealed, yet in plain view. Iran was not meant to be The valley of the shadow of death.
I know that hope will grow Into an eternal ocean, And it will dance in Tehran In the pink clouds of sunrise, Its life the symphony of our voices Witnessing the birth of a magnificent light.
