Reza closed his shop
and went home
Mother!
I’m joining the protests
If I don’t return
tell the world
that I gave my life
for the freedom of Iran
He gave his car keys to his mom
asked his family for forgiveness
prayed—
On his way out
his mother and sisters
had him pass under the Quran
The street was a
river of chants
until shooting started
His friend fell
and he ran to help
Bullets pierced his
heart, chest, legs, and back
His throat a river of blood
Bodies piled on top of bodies
hundreds upon hundreds
At the cemetery
louder than prayers for the dead
were curses for those who visited death
upon the living
Reza died for life
* Reza Eskandarpour was shot in protests in Iran on January 8, 2026.