Terrestrial Verses

Recorded in chronological order, like a memo, is how an aging nation moves towards its demise. The nine chapters of buildup are merely excellent exercises, while the final chapter’s conclusion, with its sharp revelation, strikes straight to the heart: on the seismic belt, the old man named Tehran has rotted into a living corpse, and then the mountains crumble, the city collapses, and the destruction is symbolized by the rise of young rock music—'The Great Earthquake' from the holy book brings upheaval and a new Iran. The title comes from the Iranian poet Forough Farrokhzad’s poem Ayeh haye zamini