Nothing to do
Nowhere to be
No one to see
Quiet surroundings
Only the sound of the birds
Me and my thoughts
Those are the conditions of writing for me
Once a phrase is there
I start and see where it goes
Time is needed
Can’t be rushing all the time
Need to sit for a while with my thoughts
Contemplate
Connect to that deep place in my soul
Where meaning roams
Where emotions dance
Where ideas emerge
In that solemn space
Words appear out of seemingly nowhere
And flow across the page
June 28th, 2023
It would have been better to be executed
Than continue to be in prison under those conditions
It was the early days of the revolution and
Many Baha’is were imprisoned and a number of them were executed
There were no social media back then
No online campaigns
These dark deeds took place
Without the knowledge of others
Only the family of the prisoners and their friends
Would find out their fate after it was too late
Illegal arrests and imprisonments
No lawyers
Sham court proceedings
Torture
Asking the prisoners to recant and be set free
Asking them for money to spare their lives
Unspeakable acts
The prisoners’ only refuge
Their Faith
Their support for each other
Their determination to stand firm
To hear the moaning of other prisoners in pain
To witness the result of the torture of their friends
To be insulted and humiliated
It was easier to be executed and set free of those terrible conditions
But Olya was released
And she did was she promised the others
She told the story of the ten brave women of Shiraz
Now the whole world knows what went on
During those terrible days and
The sacrifices that were made by these pure souls
They were released from this mortal world
And their spirits soared towards their Beloved
Their suffering ended
And they proved their love and devotion
Those were dark days
But the light these souls shine
Will illumine our world forever
June 15, 2023
Inspired by a talk by Olya Roohizadegan
about ten Baha’i women killed in Shiraz in 1983
Summer time
When the days are long
It’s light when we wake up
It’s light long after dinner is done
When we can sit in the garden and read
Or enjoy a cup of tea
When the birds are happy
And let us know with their songs
When the grass is green
And flower pots are out again in the back yard
Summer time
When I can wear dresses every day
When it doesn’t take ten minutes to prepare
To get out of the house
When morning walks are pleasant
And neighbours can stand outside and chat for a while
Summer time
The time to travel
To broaden one’s horizon
To meet friends who come from abroad
Summer time
Crabapples on the tree
Mint in the garden
And raspberry time
Summer time is relaxation time
June 24th, 2023
A meeting is in progress over Zoom
University professors and administrators at work
I hear the confident voice of a woman
Who seems to be chairing the meeting
The cadence of her voice
It’s tone
The words she uses
All tell of her competence
And her assurance that she is being heard
Because she has ideas that are important to share
I hear men’s voices too
But hers is dominant
They are obviously solving problems and making plans
How wonderful to see women in science
In the highest echelons
Voicing their opinions
Leading the charge
This is how it should be in all areas
This is the sign of things to come
June 21st, 2023
I am Lida, doing Lida things
What might those be?
Going somewhere new
And losing my way when returning home (pre-GPS times)
Bringing home jalapeño lemonade instead of regular lemonade
As if that is something that exists and I should check
Not listening to the doctors’ instructions
And considering them suggestions
Doing something wrong over and over again
And not learning my lesson
Doing my writing or collage very fast
Is that being inspired or just not having enough patience?
Cooking meals that take no more than an hour
Long drawn-out cooking is not my thing
Doing gardening in white clothing
Not bothering to change
Doing a lot of silly things despite my age
What is age but a number?
Enjoying travelling, the farther, the better
Seeking adventure and enjoying interacting with other cultures
Making decisions really fast
And then pondering if I’ve made a good choice
Laughing out loud in a museum
Wondering why we look at such old paintings
Wearing dresses all summer long
Pants are not my favourite apparel
Many of the things I do are from being impatient
Being directionally challenged
Being stubborn
And thinking I know better
Bring silly
And enjoying laugher and having fun
I’m simply being Lida, doing Lida things
June 6th, 2023
lida's musings 