About Me

Homa, the youngest daughter of Ms. Mehrnegar and Mr. Mohammad Seddiq Tarzi was born on January 7th, 1951 in Kabul Afghanistan. Her family members were amongst the very educated, intellectual and influential people in Afghanistan.

After graduating from Kabul University, she went to Tehran, Iran to continue her educations. Unfortunately due to the problems caused by the dominance of the Communists forces in Afghanistan and the Islamic revolution in Iran, she had to discontinue her studies and immigrate to New York in February 1979.

Homa was deeply interested in literature and poetry from the early years of her life. She was always one of the most prominent students in her classes. Her parents, who were highly educated themselves, strongly encouraged her to be engaged in this field. She composed many poems but never took that serious. At the age of 18 she lost her mother. This was the greatest shock in Homa’s life. By her father’s continuous encouragement, she started to publish her poems.

In 1970 she won first prize for the best poem about the occasion of Mother’s day. This poem was published in different Afghan and Iranian magazines numerous times.

Mother’s Death I wailed because my happy days were darkened when you died The flower of my youth has its petals fall off and lost to the winds The castle of my hopes crumbled and vanished My home is flooded with sorrow and my heart drowns How can I say to you what happened to me when you died? See that your daughter has become imprisoned with mourning you I sit breathless eternally and my day becomes my night This pain and scar had to heal without you. What was my mother? The compliment of my youth Her tenderness and words were my love and success Her scolding was like thorns against my temptations But you were removing the sorrow to let me blossom But you left me with guilt and tears filling me now And still in this darkness I search and wait for you Your Homa’s* feathers fell and the wings broke when you had left me And now my will belongs to fate lost to chance alone.
Kabul May 10, 1969

* Homa is an old word which its Pahlavic word is Humak. From word point of view is means Luck. In the ancient time it was the symbol of Luck. People believed that whenever its shadow falling on the head of a person will bring happiness and good chance for. In the myths written that whenever the people want to elect a king would fly Homa to the sky. Homa after circling the sky would came down on the head of a person and he would be became a king. In the old flags they were painting the Eagle or Homa on. You can find that our poets form Ferdusi down to Hafez used this word as the symbol of Luckiness.

The Vine The vine is luckier than I. I wish to become like the vine. It is more beautiful and free than I. In a world that all sees the beauty on the surface and all judge your image, they do love the vibrant green of the vine. Yes, the vine is the beautiful one. I wish to become like the vine. I want to be the vine and entwine you. Inside the heat of my body I envelope you and kiss you, whispering the song of love into your ear. I will fly you to the heavens surrounded by the clouds of truth and sincerity. With my lips, I wash your form cleansing you with the luckiest gift of love. I will put you into slumber with passionate kisses across your azure eyes. I kiss you so fervently that your bardic lips are left speechless. I will tame you like a child because I love you and I do not want any other vine to entangle my beauty. Oh how lucky the vine is. I wish to become the vine. Kabul July 9, 1969

Her first published poem in Kabul was named “The Vine”. It was published in Pashtun Zhagh Magazine in 1969.

She describes her memory after this publication as follows:

The day this poem was published, all my friends suddenly became silent. No word was heard from any one.

It was obvious that in a society like Kabul where no woman dared to express her emotional feelings, an eighteen year old girl loudly voiced herself on love toward the opposite sex.

Of course, Mr. Naser Tehuri; one of the famous Afghan poets who was the editor of the Pashtun Zhagh Magazine was a big supporter of Homa. She was publishing her writing in this magazine till she was in Kabul. She was also writing plays for Radio Kabul. It was a very successful program, even some of the listeners were asking that the programs be repeated. Her first short story was published at same magazine under the title of Hich (Nothing). This magazine always contained some of Homa’s outstanding works.

When she was living in Iran, she went back to Kabul for vacation. At that time Mr. Tehuri interviewed her.

The Wine of Embrace The intoxicating feeling of your embrace with the warm, pleasing sensation of your breathing and touch escalate me to the highest state of love. And I am an empty goblet waiting to be filled by your warm embrace. Enveloped in your hands, I melt like wax from your overwhelming breath. And you are a living symbol with wine in your veins instead of blood. You surround me in your loving embrace and take me to a world of joy and happiness. At that moment you weave tales of goodness, love, and purity for me. Because I am an innocent child held in your loving arms near your warm breath; I fall asleep from embarrassment and comfort from your soothing touch. You and I became us, and we will become One; bringing forth a seed of life. Yes, it will be conceived as a seed untainted, pure, and innocent. Or it can be born tainted and impure because in its soft veins runs your unclean blood. Kabul May 20,1972

Actually this was the paper that for the first time in Afghan history brought up the competition of the Afghan Teen Princess. This competition was officially announced, the problem was no girl in the country was brave enough to step forward. Homa agreed to be the first one to announce her nomination. This courageous action paved the path for others. After a few girls stepped forward, she withdrew herself from the competition, because she already accomplished what she wanted.

When her poem “Wine of Embrace” was published in the Karwan Paper in the 1972, it became the talk of the day all over the country.

Many people came from other cities to visit her. Amongst them was a young girl from Mimaneh province north of Afghanistan. Her name was Sohellah who came to Kabul and was so impressed by Homa that she made her family move to Kabul.

Homa’s memory of this visit is as follows:

“It was a hot summer day in Kabul University. I just finished my classes when someone from the office told me that some people were waiting for me. When I got closer to them I saw a very beautiful girl with long blond hair and a middle aged man. After saying hello I found out he was Sohellah’s father and brought her daughter to visit me in Kabul. Later on the whole family moved to Kabul. Unfortunately with all the changes we lost each other.”

The first interview with Homa was in the Kabul Times.

In 1970 Mirmon (Women) Magazine had a 3-page interview with Homa. Her colored photo was on the cover of the magazine and some copies of her artwork were included in this interview.

Her memory of this event:

“When some friends got the magazine, they were surprised. Even one of the very educated friends who was a diplomat in the foreign affairs ministry told me:

“How come your father and brothers let you to do such a thing?”

I smiled and said:

They should feel proud of me.

He became speechless.”

Anyway, walking against fanatic phenomena of society was Homa’s every day life.

When she was all over the Afghanistan news, she was already a well-known poet in Iran.

Her poems were published in the most distinguished Iranian publications such as:

Yaghma, Sokhan and the Etlaat Haftgui in Iran.

Homa talks of her memories in Iran:

“The worst memories of my life is when I was resided in Iran. In that country I was a stranger. We have a proverb which says, neither White as Romans and not Black as Ethiopians. It embodies my situation there very clearly.

But I remember very distinguished figures that were very helpful to me such as:

Master Habib Yaghmai, Dr. Parviz Natel Khanlari, Dr. Saidi Serjani, Dr. Jahanguir Tafazoli Iranian Ambassador in Afghanistan.”

She continues:

“When I was in Iran and was struggling with my own problems, I heard that the best young poet was to be selected in Kabul. The members of the selecting committee agreed to choose me as the best young poet in the country, except Dr. RF who objected and said:

“Homa is no longer an Afghan because she is married to an Iranian.”

When I got this sad news, I put down the pen and decided only to write but never to publish any of my works any longer.”

One of Homa’s best memories from this period of time is the friendship and acquaintance with Ana Briongos the famous Spanish writer. This relationship started when they became roommates in the Tehran University dormitory. They are still best friends.

Ana writes about Homa in her book Black on Black (from page 115 to page 173). Ana dedicated this book to some of her friends including Homa.

The followings are some quotations from Ana’s book:

She recalls about the way her father inspired her for pushing these cultural borders as:

“The only person who was encouraging me was my father.”

In the page 116 we can read,

“Homa’s name comes from the bird in Zoroastrian mythology. She was very beautiful and exceptionally bright; next to her, the rest of us seemed dull and insignificant. She was also gentle, meticulous, obliging, sympathetic, smart and funny. She was the roommate I had been given, and that’s how I thought of her at first, but with time I realized my luck, and it struck me that if I had been a man, Homa would have been my ideal women.”

At the same book page 168 we see,

“…Anyway I’m not an Iranian, even though I lived there for many years and married an Iranian man. I’m an Afghan, and as you know, Afghanistan is another world. We are nomads at heart, my friend. We grew up feeling tiny, between the vast earth and the immensity of the sky…”

In addition to the Pashtun Zhagh Magazine, we should not forget Homa’s presence in the Karwan (Caravan) Newspaper. Not only were her poems published in this popular newspaper, but also she was constantly attending the round tables and gatherings which were organized by this paper. She was taking part in these meetings representing the young generation, especially as an advocate for Afghan girls’ rights.

Pashtun Zhagh – (Voice of Pashtunnn), Mirmon – (Women Magazine), Puhantun – (University Magazine). Yaghma Persian Magazine. Even two years ago it was published again in an Afghan magazine Asar (effect) in the USA.

She remembers Mr. Iqbal Tokhi the famous Afghan poet as one of her first supporters.

Besides studying, she always had a part-time job, such as management of Markopolo (Marco-polo) Restaurant, working for Pashtun Zhagh Magazine, working for USIS (AMERICAN Cultural Center in Kabul), working for the Iranian Embassy and Modeling for advertisements and many more….

Page from Asar Magazine

Yaghma Persian Magazine

Pashtun Zhagh magazine (interview)

Etelaat Weekly Magazine, Iran

Homa and Ana in Farah Park, Iran 1974

She remembers a great Jewish Iranian family:

“During this difficult time I was introduced to a great Iranian medical doctor, Ata Yadegar and his wife Eliz. They treated me like their own daughter. This family helped me forget the pain caused by the separation from my family.

At the present time this respected family lives in Los Angeles, California and our friendship goes on.”

Homa and Ana in New York Met 2007