Don't be afraid

she walked in silence,
miles on end, beside her father
through the heartless wilderness
that Iran has become;
a young woman who had dared to dream,
heart to speak out
a whole life to live.
she walked in silence,
stay with me - her father whispered,
so she did, miles on end.
through the distraught neighborhoods,
rooftops resonating with voices of defiance.
roads filled with people after people -
where did all these people come from - she wondered.
then she heard the gunshots,
stay with me - her father held her hands.
they turned back, but too late,
she felt the burning inside her heart,
soaked in blood,
she tripped, her father screamed - stay with me.
Don't be afraid, stay with me - her father wept.
Gazed into eternity, she died in defiance,
She told the world - don't be afraid!