Mehdi Akhavan Sales (M. Omid)

Biography
Poems
Winter (Zemestan)
I am Lonesome (Delam Tangast)
Ancient Land (Kohan Bum)
The Moment of Visiting (Lahzeye Didar)
Inscription (Kaibeh)
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Biography

We welcome M. Omid in IPC Hall of Poetic Fame. Mehdi Akhavan Sales (M. Omid), the valuable Iranian poet have been granted an honorary IPC Author position. We recognize him as a progressive artist and worthy enough to officially become an IPC Author. M. Omid is now officially in IPC Hall of Poetic Fame. Mehdi Akhavan Sales also known with his famous alias "M. Omid" was born on 1928 in city of Mashhad, province of Khorasan, Iran.

M. Omid's career in poetry started in 1942. He started as a traditionalist and later moved on into new realms and Modern Persian Poetry. M. Omid's work is extremely symbolic. In a way he speaks indirect and in tongs. His work is much epical and full of imagery. M. Omid's poetry is very complex and deep. In fact he is one the deepest amongst the free thinking poets of Iran. M. Omid and Ferdowsi are both from Khorasan and Ferdowsi's influence on M. Omid's poetry is well known.

M. Omid was a free spirit and a political activist. In those uneasy days of 1953 he was arrested and prisoned by the Imperial Regime. Laleh, his daughter was born while he was in prison.

On 1956 he published the 3rd volume of his poetry books. This was his greatest work named "Zemestan" (Winter). Winter is about how people change! One day pro Mosadeq and the next day pro Shah. One day they greet you and the next day they will refuse to even respond to your hello! M. Omid's work is very political but Winter is the most political of his poems. Winter's Theme is about the suffocating environment of the post 1953 Imperial Coup.

On 1957, after his release from prison, he first started working in the national radio, and then the national television with an assignment to province of Khuzestan. Afterwards he taught art in the university.

After the 1979 he was granted the membership to the Iranian Academy of Artists and Writers. On 1981 he was forced retire by IRI from his government service without pay! On 1989 he released his patriotic masterpiece "O You Ancient Land, I Love Thee (To ra Ey Kohan Bum O Bar Dust Daram).

On 1990, following an invitation from the cultural organization in Germany, for the first time he traveled abroad. Few months after his return, he died at Mehr Hospital of Tehran. M. Omid's tomb is on the mausoleum grounds of the greatest Iranian Classical poet Abolqasem Ferdowsi Tusi in city of Tus in province of Khorasan, Iran. M. Omid always respected Ferdowsi and inspired by his work.

M. Omid Poetic Timeline

1951 - Organ (Arqanun)
1956 - Winter (Zemestan)
1959 - The Ending of Shahnameh
1965 - From This Avesta
1966 - The Hunt
1969 - Autumn in Prison
1969 - Love Lyrics and Azure (Aasheqaneha va Kabud), Best Hope (Behtarin Omid)
1970 - Selected Poems (Gozide-ye Ash'ar)
1972 - I Saw Susa (Shush ra Didam!)
1976 - In Autumn's Small Yard at the Prison (Dar Hayat-e Kuchak-e paiz dar Zendan), They Say that Ferdowsi … (Guyand ke Ferdowsi …)
1977 - An Ancient Tree and the Forest (Derakhti Pir va Jangal)
1978 - Hell, but Cold (Duzakh Amma Sard), Life Dictates: Still We Must Live (Zendegi Miguyad, Amma Baz Bayad Zist), And Now a New Spring (Inak Bahar-i Digar), Fight on, O Hero (Bejang, Ey Pahlavan)
1989 - O You Ancient Land, I Love Thee (To ra Ey Kohan Bum O Bar Dust Daram)

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