ANXIETY

	BY GRISH DAVTIAN

	Although it is inopportune,
	And the doubt knocks at my heart,
	Yet with an inexplicit hope
	I cling to your promise
	That you will come...


	So I keep my lamp lit in the window
	As a beacon for the lost...


	It will be by the light of my love
	That you will finally find your way
	And reach my heart...


	My anxiety is pounding
	With the anguish of my waiting;
	I wish you to appear
	And deliver me
	From the swamp of hopelessness,
	Which is growing out of doubts...


	I am in a nightmare,
	I am wishing to dart out into the road
	Of forgetfulness and loss;
	But my feet have turned to stone,
	So I remain motionless,
	I remain on the rock of existence...


	O, the sunny imagination of good wishes,
	Catch up and fulfill me
	By the worth of my devotion,
	That I have kept pure and clean
	In the duration of my life,
	Like the purity of the sight of my eyes
	Directed to you...


	I am caressing you with my longings,
	With the warmth of my palms,
	And with the love of my heart,
	Do arrive and fill the emptiness...


	My lamp is lit in the window,
	And is spreading the light of love...

	Do find the road of my heart
	And arrive
	As award and prize.


--
Grish Davtian was born in Nor Jugha, Esfahan, Iran. His work includes
poetry and literary criticism written in Armenian, and, more recently,
poetry written in English. He has worked as the founding editor for
the Aregak monthly journal, in 1964-5 in London, and editor of the
literary pages of Alik Daily newspaper, in 1980-1985 in Tehran. As a
member of the Armenian Writer's Society in Iran, he has served as
the vice president and president of this organization for several
years. He has three books of poems published in Armenian. Now living
in Glendale, CA, USA, Davtian has been in charge of the literary pages
of the Asparez Daily newspaper in 1997-2001. He has initiated the
Literary Asparez monthly meetings, sponsored by the Glendale Public
Library. He runs a one hour weekly literary program, called Literary
Ether, on Horizon Armenian TV. The book of his English poems "The
Ameriacan Pulse" has recently been published by Publish America LLLP,
USA. He is also the editor of The Literary Groong (TLG) webpage on the
Groong Armenian News Network website.