Our Fathers’ Stories

Author’s note: Having written this essay just before the Artsakh War, my goal was to write about these films and stories as a way to connect our past to our future in a forward thinking way. Afterwards, I thought it a futile endeavor to present it without altering it or writing about anything other than the tragedy that befell our nation. Upon thinking about how valiantly the 18 year-old soldier responded to his or her calling, it was a resounding response to the question raised about fathers and sons in my mind. It inspired me to reconsider submitting it without changing a word. It is as it was intended to be read before the war.

When your father dies, say the Irish,
you lose your umbrella against bad weather,
May his sun be your light, say the Armenians

When your father dies, say the Welsh,
you sink a foot deeper into the earth,
May you inherit his light, say the Armenians

This excerpt is from Diana Der Hovanessian’s poem Shifting the Sun, which features a thematic motif that repeats itself with Canadians, French, Indians, Russians, etc. Her poems often repeat themes familiar to the collective Armenian psyche which are relevant politically and existentially. The beauty in this revelation is the clarity in its structure. When read tediously, each line resonates further until it concludes with this final stanza: When your father dies, say the Armenians/your sun shifts forever/And you walk in his light.