Young lives snuffed out too early
Sacrificed to maintain the status quo
Unimaginable
Yet possible
Justice turned rogue
Humanity forgotten
No, pommeled, crushed and destroyed!
January 7h, 2023
for the youth unjustly executed in Iran
Archives
They persist
I look and listen from a distance
And see a nation in turmoil and pain
People asking for justice and equality
Asking for a normal and acceptable quality of life
But change does not come easily
There is always resistance and pushback
Nevertheless the clock cannot be turned back
People are no longer content with the status quo
They continue to speak up
Despite the crackdowns
Despite the threats
Despite the imprisonments
And despite the executions
I admire the strength and courage
Of my countrymen and women
I worry for their safety and security
And I look forward to the day
When their sacrifices will have paid off
And peace and security and equality prevails
January 6th, 2023
For the courageous people of Iran
Nobility
If they don’t treat women well
It doesn’t bode well for the rest of society
If they don’t treat religious minorities well
They will eventually denigrate other groups as well
The thinking that sees one group as better than others
Eventually will see everyone else as other
Only those in power will be immune to oppression
When they don’t treat women well
It means one day they will not treat you well
Let’s stand up not just for our own rights
But the rights of every marginalized group in society
This is the sign of nobility
November 7th, 2022
Marathon
It’s a marathon
Sometimes a bloody one unfortunately
Sacrifices are being made with lives lost or imprisonment
But the energy of the youth propelling this movement is endless
Their idealism and hope for change fuels their cause
They want better lives
They are done with the status quo
They plan and organize
They march and they chant
And they cannot be beaten into submission
These youth have attracted the attention of the world
People in Germany, UK, Sweden and South America
Have heard their anthem of freedom
Artists are singing their song
The world is watching
Persians overseas and others are walking with the people of Iran
This is a just cause
The demands are simple: woman, life, freedom!
November 6th, 2022
Indomitable spirit
Physical violence won’t subdue the spirit of these freedom fighters
The wounds they suffer will not weaken their resolve
Their spirits are strong
You can pummel their flesh
You can shoot their bodies
But their spirits are strong
They will rise again stronger this time
November 4th, 2022
Close your eyes
If I entice you with my beautiful locks
Which is a gift from God to adorn my face
The problem is you, not me
If my bare ankles arise in you sensual thoughts
The problem is you, not me
My natural body is to be celebrated, not hidden
Would you cover up a bouquet of roses because it’s too beautiful?
Close your eyes instead!
Close your eyes if the price of your lustful thoughts
Is my imprisonment under layers of cloth
Close your eyes if you can’t handle God-given beauty
And sexualize what is natural and part of life
Close your eyes
Don’t put me in bondage because of your weaknesses
Close your eyes
November 4th, 2022
Love is what life is about
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
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
Being grateful is best
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
A night from hell
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.
