Saraye Ehsan, The Sanctuary Where Pain Meets Hope

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.

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Farzaneh Haratyan

Farzaneh Haratyan is currently an Associate Professor at the Vellore Institute of Technology in India. Before taking up this role, she taught as an associate professor for four years in China. She earned her first PhD in English Literature from the University Malaya in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and received her second MA in General Psychology from the Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University in Tehran, Iran. Her interest lies in the way psychological theories can be applied in the analyses of literary works or the way literature can be employed in therapies like poetry therapy. She pursues her interests in the practices of positive psychology, REBT, emotion regulation (ER), and poetry therapy.

Latest posts by Farzaneh Haratyan (see all)

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