Humanity
They asked me once, “What’s humanity?” I said, “I’m human — go ask a dog.”
Because I’ve seen hearts in creatures small, but in humans something’s wrong.
I saw a bird feed one that fell, its wings too weak to fly.
Yet saw a man walk past the poor, without a blink, without a sigh.
I saw a cat take in a stray, and feed her hungry young.
But I saw people burn down homes, and call it “right” in human tongues.
I saw a dog cry for his friend, when death had closed his eyes.
But I saw humans take a life, and feel no pain, no cries.
I saw a little ant lend a hand, to help another build her nest.
But I saw humans tear apart, what others made with love and sweat.
From dogs who love without return, from birds who share their sky,
it’s time we wake, it’s time we learn, to live with heart before we die.
It’s time we choose a kinder way, to see each soul, to truly try,
to hold our light, not turn away, and be more human before goodbye.
Tell me now — what happened to us? What happened to our kind?
Where did our morals drift away? Where did we lose our mind?
I miss the time we cared and felt, when hearts were warm, not stone.
When “human” meant compassion deep, and love was widely known.
Where did humanity go? Where did our spirits fade?
From dogs who love with loyalty, from birds who share their song,
from cats who shelter one another—they’ve been human all along.
~Milad Yousufi
Summer 2026
They asked me once, “What’s humanity?” I said, “I’m human — go ask a dog.”
Because I’ve seen hearts in creatures small, but in humans something’s wrong.
I saw a bird feed one that fell, its wings too weak to fly.
Yet saw a man walk past the poor, without a blink, without a sigh.
I saw a cat take in a stray, and feed her hungry young.
But I saw people burn down homes, and call it “right” in human tongues.
I saw a dog cry for his friend, when death had closed his eyes.
But I saw humans take a life, and feel no pain, no cries.
I saw a little ant lend a hand, to help another build her nest.
But I saw humans tear apart, what others made with love and sweat.
From dogs who love without return, from birds who share their sky,
it’s time we wake, it’s time we learn, to live with heart before we die.
It’s time we choose a kinder way, to see each soul, to truly try,
to hold our light, not turn away, and be more human before goodbye.
Tell me now — what happened to us? What happened to our kind?
Where did our morals drift away? Where did we lose our mind?
I miss the time we cared and felt, when hearts were warm, not stone.
When “human” meant compassion deep, and love was widely known.
Where did humanity go? Where did our spirits fade?
From dogs who love with loyalty, from birds who share their song,
from cats who shelter one another—they’ve been human all along.
~Milad Yousufi
Summer 2026
Refugee
I am a refugee, I am the wind,
I live on the top of mountains, trees and hills, world is my home, I live everywhere, yet I am homeless,
I feel people's faces, surface of the oceans, roads and the forests. I am everywhere, yet I am nowhere,
I cover everything, from south to north, from east to west,
I am everything, yet I am nothing,
My mysterious being guides the rain drops where to fall, my immense presence encompasses the horizon, yet I don't exist.
I am a refugee, I am the wind,
I live on the top of mountains, trees and the hills, world is my home, I live everywhere, yet I am homeless.
Fall 2017
I am a refugee, I am the wind,
I live on the top of mountains, trees and hills, world is my home, I live everywhere, yet I am homeless,
I feel people's faces, surface of the oceans, roads and the forests. I am everywhere, yet I am nowhere,
I cover everything, from south to north, from east to west,
I am everything, yet I am nothing,
My mysterious being guides the rain drops where to fall, my immense presence encompasses the horizon, yet I don't exist.
I am a refugee, I am the wind,
I live on the top of mountains, trees and the hills, world is my home, I live everywhere, yet I am homeless.
Fall 2017
Dark World
The world has not been kind to me
Looks ugly, dark and blind to me
The sky feel black and full of sin
The moon does not look fine to me.
The meaning flew form tree of life
The books look dots and lines to me
Some people's concept of this world
Is ninety without nine to me.
My days and nights are black and same
The bright stars don't shine to me.
The world has not been kind to me
Looks ugly, dark and blind to me
The sky feel black and full of sin
The moon does not look fine to me.
Fall 2018
The world has not been kind to me
Looks ugly, dark and blind to me
The sky feel black and full of sin
The moon does not look fine to me.
The meaning flew form tree of life
The books look dots and lines to me
Some people's concept of this world
Is ninety without nine to me.
My days and nights are black and same
The bright stars don't shine to me.
The world has not been kind to me
Looks ugly, dark and blind to me
The sky feel black and full of sin
The moon does not look fine to me.
Fall 2018
My Dear Soul,
You may rest in peace my dear soul
This mortal world doesn't care anymore
They hurt you with their words like snake
And give you cup of poison to take
You may rest in peace my dear soul
This mortal world doesn't care anymore
I wonder from door to door
With burning heart and wounded soul
What I ask for is not the world
But a warm smile and love for sure
This mortal world doesn't care anymore
You may rest in peace my dear soul
You may rest in peace my dear soul
This mortal world doesn't care anymore
This mortal world doesn't care anymore
Winter 2018
You may rest in peace my dear soul
This mortal world doesn't care anymore
They hurt you with their words like snake
And give you cup of poison to take
You may rest in peace my dear soul
This mortal world doesn't care anymore
I wonder from door to door
With burning heart and wounded soul
What I ask for is not the world
But a warm smile and love for sure
This mortal world doesn't care anymore
You may rest in peace my dear soul
You may rest in peace my dear soul
This mortal world doesn't care anymore
This mortal world doesn't care anymore
Winter 2018
Death
From the darkness of the night, to the brightest light of day,
seems unfair to me, seems unreal to me
The shadow of my own, why leaves me in the dark?
The salty tears of mine, why don’t shed in the grave?
O death come to me, life is about to kill me,
O death rescue me, life is about to kill me,
O time! What have you done, to my beloved ones?
Why they are in the grave? All silent, dead and done,
O death come to me, life is about to kill me,
O death rescue me, life is about to kill me,
What have you done to me? Why I feel hurt and numb?
What have you done to us? To a mother and son?
O death come to me, life is about to kill me,
O death rescue me, life is about to kill me,
O death come to me, life is about to kill me,
O death rescue me, life is about to kill me...
March 2019
From the darkness of the night, to the brightest light of day,
seems unfair to me, seems unreal to me
The shadow of my own, why leaves me in the dark?
The salty tears of mine, why don’t shed in the grave?
O death come to me, life is about to kill me,
O death rescue me, life is about to kill me,
O time! What have you done, to my beloved ones?
Why they are in the grave? All silent, dead and done,
O death come to me, life is about to kill me,
O death rescue me, life is about to kill me,
What have you done to me? Why I feel hurt and numb?
What have you done to us? To a mother and son?
O death come to me, life is about to kill me,
O death rescue me, life is about to kill me,
O death come to me, life is about to kill me,
O death rescue me, life is about to kill me...
March 2019
Poem for My Mother
O westerly winds, I beg you do me a favor,
Go to my village, pass my greetings to the graves of my beloved ones,
A little farther is an old house, my heart, my mother lives there,
I beg you to touch her feet, tell her I will come home one day, Tell her I will come home one day...
O westerly winds, I beg you do me a favor,
Go to my village, pass my greetings to the graves of my beloved ones,
My heart is burning like a flame, and broken into pieces far from my home,
I will go home, where my beloved cared for me,
I will go home one day , I will go home....
July 2019
O westerly winds, I beg you do me a favor,
Go to my village, pass my greetings to the graves of my beloved ones,
A little farther is an old house, my heart, my mother lives there,
I beg you to touch her feet, tell her I will come home one day, Tell her I will come home one day...
O westerly winds, I beg you do me a favor,
Go to my village, pass my greetings to the graves of my beloved ones,
My heart is burning like a flame, and broken into pieces far from my home,
I will go home, where my beloved cared for me,
I will go home one day , I will go home....
July 2019
Nutcracker
Reunion day honey and water will not taste the same,
Living in mansion and streets will feel different,
I feel like a nutcracker, well dressed, moving lips and alert but frozen...frozen...and frozen.
Reunion day I won’t feel a burden,
I won’t feel like a lost immigrant in the dark forest wandering,
I feel like a nutcracker, well dressed, moving lips and alert but frozen...frozen...and frozen.
I won’t feel like a lost child in a big city,
I will feel centered, the blood of life will run through my veins,
The entire universe will celebrate the reunion moment,
I will feel alive again, I will live in peace and rest in peace.
I feel like a nutcracker, well dressed, moving lips and alert but frozen...frozen...and frozen.
December 29, 2019