Saraye Ehsan, The Sanctuary Where Pain Meets Hope
written by: Farzaneh Haratyan
In the heart of Tehran, south of Kahrizak,
Nestled is Saraye Ehsan, a sanctuary, a mental retreat,
A dwelling for 500 five hundred souls, lost yet found in their minds,
Institutionalized for countless moons, yet throbbing with life’s beat.
Once a tempest brewed, struck their spirits, their souls,
Pain was magnified, birthing an obsession, a persistent beast.
With the extension of agony, joy drained away, replaced by torment,
Self-inflicted wounds, harm to others, the insanity feast.
Chained to their bare beds, they are labeled, confined.
In the mental hospital, Saraye Ehsan, the sanctuary, they’re ordained.
Yet, in the same adverse life storms, some brave souls grasp hope’s rope,
Climb the darkened abyss, ascend to the lightened acmes.
Stitch their torn pieces, mend their fragmented selves,
Pain is captured, detained, held at bay, it seems,
Healing rains down, washing the heart’s scars and lesions,
A balm to the wounds, a salve to the dreams.
The sane taste life’s bittersweet syrup, a paradoxical treat,
See the positive woven in the negative threads, a feat!
Mental surgery for the tattered, amending the shattered,
She rises a day later, stronger than ever, a rebirth, a repeat.
Off to the mental hospital, Saraye Ehsan, the mental sanctuary,
With my master students, armed with amity, empathy, compassion,
We thought of a visit, sought to bring love and a sense of belonging,
A mission of humanity, a journey of sympathy.
Yet it went the other way round, the tables turned,
They embraced us, sincere, earnest, unfeigned.
We were the ones who felt loved, cherished, blessed.
Monumental moments of profound worth, lesson gained.
We stored in the vaults of our minds, a treasure chest,
We gained much more than we gave, a truth ascertained,
In farewell, a treasure of experiences, a heartfelt fest.
- Saraye Ehsan, The Sanctuary Where Pain Meets Hope - July 11, 2024
- Touchable Tibetan Sky - April 19, 2024
