Sorry for the delay in posting this blog, but the Elora Poetry Centre & Gallery promised to create a space for people to ask Khashayar (Kess) Mohammadi questions about their performance for the 100 Thousand Poets for Change event on Sept. 30. Those in attendance may recall that it was a busy day, Kess’s reading being followed by Dr. Gerard Yun playing the shakuhachi and then Choir in Motion performing in the garden, so we did not have the opportunity for a Q & A.

Anyhow, we thought we’d belatedly start things off with a query by a member of the audience that Carol received the next day, hoping that others will feel free to join the discussion:

In “Moes’ Skin.2.” [from Me, You, then Snow], “My head cradled sunlight to its resting place. / Did you ever have a face?” . . . What? I don’t get it. ”

However, the next day, this friend of the Elora Poetry Centre added the following: “Within the context of that particular poem, it makes ‘sense’ since it follows the changing countenance of his friend.” Does anybody have anything to add? Was this your reading, too?

Those of you who have a copy of Me, You, then Snow might want to have a look at this poem on p. 4 for the larger poetic context. Also, since the original question was later followed by a declarative sentence, perhaps it’s not the best way to open the Q & A, but we’re hoping that, in spite of the time that has passed, there might be some general questions about Kess’s poetics, themes, etc. His poetry has wonderful depths that we’d love to explore. Then again, those of you with access to the above collection and/or The Ocean Dweller, Saeed Tavanaee Marvi’s poems translated from the Farsi by Kess, might have some specific questions about individual poems.

Please leave your questions here and we’ll direct them to Kess for a response. We will then get back to you on this forum.