Flying Back With the Birds to My Hometown of Tehran

"Distance does not soften the terror. It only deepens my helplessness. In moments like this, I realize that geography is not measured in miles, but in attachment. War rearranges distance. These days I find myself returning to "The Conference of the Birds," the 12th-century poem by Attar of Nishapur, seeking meaning through ancient wisdom about spiritual journeys and transformation."

"In the story, the birds of the world gather to search for their king, the Simorgh. By the time they reach Mount Qaf, only 30 remain. When they finally arrive, they discover not a king waiting for them, but a mirror. In Persian, si morgh means "thirty birds." What they had been searching for was not somewhere else. It was themselves, together."

"Since the war began, I feel as if I am living inside a shadow. It has no physical form, yet it follows me everywhere. I wake up in New York and immediately reach for my phone, consumed by anxiety about distant loved ones and the impossibility of physical presence during crisis."

A person living far from their homeland experiences profound psychological displacement as war unfolds in their hometown. Despite physical distance, news received through digital screens creates an overwhelming sense of proximity and terror. Geographic separation no longer provides emotional refuge; instead, attachment and emotional bonds redefine distance. The author finds solace in revisiting "The Conference of the Birds," a 12th-century Persian poem about spiritual journey and self-discovery. The narrative explores how war creates an inescapable shadow that follows the displaced person everywhere, transforming their relationship with distance, home, and identity. The ancient poem becomes a psychological map for understanding contemporary displacement and collective human experience.

Read at Hyperallergic