"The Bard's Breath" is a daily weekday feature that brings you art, quotes and verse related to our times. We all need a bit more than just news to make it through what's coming next: Spirit. Perspective. Faith. Reminders of humanity, and horror, and the shape of true victory.

We're on it. Today we honour Glenn Frazier, the blogosphere's unofficial ambassador to Iran. He's back, and so is the Iranian Liberty Index. Glenn, this one's for you.

The Shahnameh, or "Book of Kings," is one of the great works of Persian literature. The fickle and foolish Shah Kai-Kawoos, the invincible knight ("pehlavi") Rotsam, the betrayed hero Siawash; all part of a parade of vivid characters to rival any European epic. Iranian writer Laleh Khlalili wrote this poem in 1999, an ironic, mocking anti-tribute to the recent Iranian Revolution that evokes an older history, and older legends.

"we have shambled eternally
through the seven feats and defeats of Rotsam
throughout this interminable redundancy of virile destruction
and murderous patriotism

we - in idolatry of our innumerable heroes -
have slaughtered our sons on city streets
and in dark chambers of infamy,
we have gone unpunished but by memories of murder
damning our eternal existence,
and we will
will
will
be judged and decapitated through
the inevitability of fratricide..."