A voice inside my head bounces off of my eyelids and I wake up: "The world is going to a dangerous place. Militarism is on the rise. Perhaps a coup is imminent."
A voice inside my heart enwraps it tightly: "What's to guarantee that Mirhossein Mousavi is more liberal-minded. He has never claimed the Reform movement."
Voice in the head: "Why did Khatami back him? Is he no longer abiding by Reform?"
Voice in the hands: "Instead of debating with yourself so much, get up and do something, write something."
Voice in the head: "What newspaper will print your crap?"
Voice in the feet: "I have no hope… where am I going? Into what trap am I walking? I won't beat my chest for anyone. I won't betray myself. I won't join the internal fighting that is taking place between the centers of power."
Voice in the heart: "Don't believe Karoubi. He is full of air. How is he going to implement all that he has promised? Where's the guarantee? These people love power, not the people, not the country, not the earth. They are after votes only."
Voice in the butt: "Vote for Ahmadinejad. Let the country go to the devil. Let corruption rule over the world."
Voice in the head: "Don't be so cynical. It's not a joke. If things take a bad turn, the streets will teem with crooks. People may disappear in daylight. Civil war may ensue. Minorities could be persecuted."
Voice in the heart: "How dare they use nostalgic music for their promotional campaigns. These were composed for those who died fighting for justice."
Voice in the head: "Haven't you realized what politics is all about? There are difficulties along the way. Don't mix yourself into this."
Voice in the heart: "You are certainly not the type. Politics means that you move pawns only to win. After winning, though, people will have to brace themselves for defeat."
Voice in the belly: "Perhaps Mirhossein will do something for the hungry."
Voice in the head: "Agreed, but I won't fool myself with hopes and dreams. Why should I take part in a collective hallucination? Why do women applaud a candidate who dissociates himself from those who dress as they please?"
Voice in the heart: "When will I become We? When will we learn from our mistakes and use our heads? When will we realize that the savior is in the grave. [1] So, turn off your heat and proceed with your mind."
Voice in the head: "Perhaps people will learn to use their minds in another thousand years."
Voice in the heart: "By the way, what will happen to the political prisoners? Why aren't we concerned with Human Rights? The Environment? No one is thinking of the flowers. [2]"
Voice in the head: "We must first find peace. We must proceed with caution. Young people should keep away from adventurism."
Voice in the heart: "So, when can we move on? When can we insist on our demands?"
Voice in the head: "Time is not an enemy to overcome but an ally to work with patiently." [3]
Voice in the hands: "But I can't write the name of any of these candidates on the ballot."
Voice in the heart: "Don't you remember what {Najaf Daryabandari} said in the last election: Fearing the serpent, I threw myself in the mouth of the dragon. [4] And he then went to the voting station to write {Hashemi Rafsanjani}'s name on the ballot. He said that we should be uneasy about American jingoism in the region."
Voice in the head: "The world is again threatened by religious radicalism and the voice of freedom is dim. Truly, ill-fated is the people yearning for heroes. This regime has fist-fucked the workers, imprisoned their representatives, and now claims to represent workers throughout the world. This two-legged creature is truly a puzzle."
Voice in the heart: "Freedom has no walls. But these ideologues deny it. You remember that the premise is freedom and truth and respect for other beings. You can then ascribe to whatever -ism you want."
I let the water run over my body. I tell my head to shut up, I tell my heart to shut up, I tell my hands, feet, above and below to shut up.
I want to go and buy a newspaper to see what will befall us.
Source: Tehran Avenue (Iran), Article by Marzieh Vafamehr, June
