Love is what life is about
The encouraging words of a friend
A thoughtful gift sent in times of illness
A phone call to see how you are
And even though these things happen sometimes
During challenging times
The love one feels
Makes one feel alive
And cheers one’s soul
Love is what life is about
October 29th, 2022
Chemo holidays are great
What might those be, you say?
It’s week two and three in a three week cycle of chemo
The first week after getting your IV drip of chemo drugs is a right off
Fatigue, nausea, sleepless nights
Food not tasting good, swallowing being hard
Everything out of whack basically
Brain fog
But luckily, there are weeks two and three
And I call those chemo holiday weeks
A semblance of normal returns
You feel like yourself again
You’re not in constant discomfort
Basically, life is good
Thank God for chemo holidays
When your body can take a break
From the onslaught of the meds
That help you and hurt you at the same time
When your mind can relax
And realize that normal does return
October 29th, 2022
At the coffee shop
Sitting in the sun
Watching normal people doing normal things
Chatting with friends
Having their croissants with coffee
Me, I’m feeling good relatively speaking
I’m at the coffee shop, aren’t I?
I wonder when I’ll be back to normal
Normal energy levels
Normal days
It will be a while
So, I have to make the best of it for now
Who knows what kinds of issues
The people at the table next to me are dealing with
I could look very normal to them
But I know better myself
This is a process I have to go through
One day at a time
I can’t have my eyes on the end
That’s too long from now
I’ve got to be my best self
Whatever that is now
Do what I can
Rest when I can’t
Accept things as they are
Be thankful for the treatment I’m getting
In a beautiful hospital
With competent specialists
It’s always best to be grateful
It leads to a better outcome
October 28th, 2022
Nine days after first chemo treatment
First night after my first chemo treatment:
It was a night from hell
Pardon my language
No, it wasn’t nausea or fatigue or the other things I was expecting
It did not let me sleep
Did not let go of me all night
And I had never experienced it before
It was restless leg syndrome
Every few second my leg would go into a spasm and move involuntarily, like a little kick
So imagine that, times a thousand
Because it would not stop
I tried hot packs
I tried stretches
Albert gave me a massage
But these little kicks came back on time each time
I took Tylenol
I took Valerian
I would sleep a little and then wake up
To that now familiar and dreaded feeling of a kick I was not in control of
It did get better as the night went on
But it didn’t disappear totally
It became milder and less frequent
It moved from my left leg to my right leg where it has stayed
I’m so happy the night is almost over and with it my ordeal
I hope it’s not a night I will ever have to repeat again
October 20th, 2022
ps: Nine days later: survived the first week after chemo and doing well.
Symphony in Orange
I have a few favourite colours
And one of them is orange, in any of its glorious varieties
And these amazing hues are on display
This fall as in every other fall
From orange to burnt orange to mixture of shades of oranges
They decorate the trees all along the paths I walk or drive
The beauty of nature is breathtaking
It feeds the soul
Orange is the colour of the fire of love
The fire that imparts life to our hearts
Orange is a joyous colour
It uplifts the soul
Orange is a colour that shines
It’s the colour of the sun in the sky
It’s warm and bright, the creator of life
There is no dearth of orange in the nature around us now
I try to take in the beauty when I’m outside
I collected many orange coloured leaves of our tree this morning
Our tree is shedding its garb of fall now
Orange magnificent
Orange a celebration
Orange, a feast for our eyes
Orange, sublime
October 20th, 2022
The fervour of these youth
The anger of these youth
Their fists raised in the air
Their hearts full of hope
These youth are speaking up for freedom
They are tired of being told lies
They want a different future
And they are sacrificing their lives
The passion of these youth
Throwing away their scarves
Showing what was hidden
For years now
These youth are being arrested
They are dying
Because they want a different life
Because they are no longer afraid to speak up
I’m proud of these youth
I honor their cause
I stand with them
Until there is freedom
I’m not paying a price with my life
Or with my imprisonment
I can only speak up with my pen
With my fists in the air
I’m awe-struck by the bravery of these youth
Climbing walls without headscarves
October 19th, 2022
The hallmark of this movement is unity
Unity between the university students and their professors
Unity between the Turk and Lor and Bakhtyari
Unity between the less fortunate and the affluent
Unity between workers and society
Unity among the students in high schools
Unity among the people marching in the streets
Unity among young and old
Unity among all strata of society
This is unprecedented in Iran
This revolution has a beating heart
That of valiant women and girl children
This revolution has strategy
Creative ways in expressing their demands
This revolution has momentum
It’s a movement that cannot be stopped
The dam has broken and it can’t be shut
I salut the women and girls of Iran
I salut the university students and professors
I salut the workers who are on strike
I salut the business people who close their shops
I salut their cries for equality
I salut their courage which is awe-inspiring
I salut their perseverance and steadfastness
I salut the audacity of those who walk around without their head scarves
This road may be long
Many lives are being sacrificed
Many are spending their time in captivity
But there is no turning back
The world is watching in admiration
And I pray and hope that the dawn is nigh
October 18th, 2022
You say I should cover my hair and body
So I don’t tempt men
I say men should be and are stronger than that
You say the headscarf is a sign of modesty
I say it’s a means of control
You say dancing excites the other sex
I say dancing brings joy into my life
You say women’s singing voice shouldn’t be heard
I say you are depriving society of so much
You say women are the weaker sex
And they need protection
I say you haven’t seen what we are capable of
You say the place of women is at home
I say society needs our contribution
You hit, and arrest and try to torture women into submission
I say this cruelty is much worse than what you consider immodesty
You do these things in the name of religion
I say religion is for peace
You fear women it seems
And you should because women are strong and courageous
And will fight for their equality like lionesses till they achieve their goal
October 17th, 2022
A child was killed
No, children have been killed
And why you may ask
Because they spoke their minds
Asked for their rights
Took off their scarves
Fought for freedom
And this is a real fight
Many have died
Innocent ones
At the hands of brutal people
Whose heart seems to be made of stone
Who are willing to kill their own countrymen
People are dying in the streets
This is not an easy fight
Courage is needed
Anger fuels their cause
But why should children die?
October 15, 2022
Smoke billows
Smoke billows from the prison on the hill
A thick grey column has risen to the sky
It marks the place of atrocities and injustices
Rounds of shots can be heard
Who is being killed and why?
Haven’t they suffered enough?
Explosions can be seen
Tear gas is being fired on those who have no where to hide
The injured are being taken away
But why have they been injured in the first place?
These are dark days
And dark acts of hatred are being committed
These days are being marked with people chanting
With cars honking
With head scarves burning
With placards and signs
With grievances being written on walls
These days are dark
But they will not last
People have passed through the valley of fear
They cannot be stopped
And they will continue to ask for their rights
And one bright morning, the sun of justice will shine
October 16th, 2022
lida's musings 