Taraneh stood in front of a mirror, and compared the reflection to a picture published in an old newspaper. There was hardly any resemblance. It was not merely about the age, but mostly about the spirit. In the picture, published along with an interview with her, she looked hopeful and determined, but now, she couldn't even fake those emotions on her face. Taraneh used to write for children and teenagers of Iran. She even...

The 9-year-old Maryam sat on the carpet, dissatisfied with the chore she was given. She stared at the large dresser in front of her, which her mother had insisted she clean it out as a part of spring cleaning, saying it was high time she learned some responsibility. But all Maryam felt was resentment for this tedious chore, and the order seemed oppressive. She pulled open the first drawer, sending some dust into air. Insi...

Maryam was working at an office. Her boss assigned her a simple task. She was supposed to contact the main customers of her company and ask them to open LCs (letters of credit) for financial transactions. Such a thing was important for the company and mutually beneficial for all the business partners. But after three months, no progress had been made. Time was running out. The LCs needed to be opened before the new year's...

The 27-year-old Maryam has been left alone with her young cousins. Soheila, Maryam's aunt, left her children there and then went away with Maryam's mother in haste. Several hours later, Soheila calls Maryam's house. Ring... Ring... Ring. Maryam picks up the phone. "Hello?" "Maryam, it's Soheila. Listen, I have some bad news. Your grandmother wasn't feeling well, so we had to take her to a hospital. Your mother and I are g...

Death will pass your world too The prosperity of your times shall end too The owl of suffering who annihilates from the root Shall visit your sad land too The autumn wind bringing misery to the lands Shall pass your gardens too The water of death, known for chocking throats Shall pass through your mouths too You who your spear blades are sharp to oppress The sharpness of your blades fades with every kill too Since the rul...

My name is Leila. I'm afraid of earthquakes since childhood. One night I was alone and getting ready for bed. Suddenly I felt an earthquake. I was so terrified that I ran for the door as fast as I could without thinking. I made it to the stairs, and then the earthquake stopped. It was then that I realized the door had closed behind me, and I was wearing nothing but underwear! The earthquake wasn't even powerful where I wa...

Many years ago, I was a woman teacher in Iran. The following story happened in the early 1990s. As any teacher or student has experienced, there is always some noise in the classroom. There is no way to achieve absolute silence, and I don't believe any attempt should be made to change that. Students need to talk, and sometimes talking helps them to understand better. I tried to keep them focused and busy in order to keep...

My name is Leila. I'm a lesbian from Iran. I migrated to Britain a few years ago. I was a teacher in my country and the story that follows happened in the summer of 1986 when I was in my twenties. In order to make my story understandable for a foreign reader, I should explain the situation of those years. Shortly after the 1979 revolution, a theocratic dictatorship began which harshly oppressed the women in Iran. In 1980,...