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The vision quest
The vision quest
I’ve only read about them
Going into the wilderness alone
Communing with nature
Listening to the voice of the ancestors
Contemplating one’s place in life
The vision quest
A right of passage
The gate to maturity and responsibility
Seeking one’s animal guide
The vision quest
Reaching out to the Great Spirit
Asking questions
Listening attentively for answers
The vision quest
January 29th, 2021
Silence
Silence
That’s all I hear
As he sits next to me
We are driving
The destination, unknown
I look at him
He’s pensive
Looking straight ahead
Sometimes he looks out the window
Still deep in thought
What does he see out there?
What is he thinking?
Is he upset?
Have I don’t something wrong?
Why so silent?
I ask him a question to start a dialogue
He says he doesn’t feel like talking
He prefers to be silent
But his silence sounds like a scream to me
January 29th, 2021
The garden
Where should I go for inspiration but to the Beloved?
Where should I turn my face to but to the beauty of the beloved?
Nowhere else is worthy is attention
Nowhere else will delight my heart
When there is a most perfect garden with dizzyingly fragrant flowers
A feast for the eyes and a balm for the soul
Why should I roam in the desert one minute longer?
The map has been drawn
The way has been shown
All that is left is to walk on the path
That leads me to the Beloved
Ambiguity
Is there a right answer?
Sometimes yes, sometimes no
There are many roads that lead to Rome
Should I be worried about taking the wrong path?
I used to
But now I know any road I take
I’ll manage to make it work
Or else I’ll chose another path
Are there precise answers?
Sometimes yes, sometimes no
What works for you won’t work for me
What’s perfect for you won’t suit me
Are there answers to all questions?
I don’t think so
Somethings will remain a mystery
I’ve come to terms with not knowing
I can live my life despite it
We need to manage our expectations
We need to come to terms with ambiguity
Some questions have many answers
Some questions have no answers
But questions will always be with us
And the need to know and understand
January 22nd, 2021
A new beginning
Journal, journal in my lap
Tell me what this day will be like
Tell me what steps we’ll take toward peace and unity
A new chapter is ending and a new one beginning
There is more love and kindness in the air
A return to decency and trustworthiness
There is a sense of duty and a desire to serve
There is honesty and how vital that is
We all can breathe a sigh of relief
The breath we held for years can be exhaled
Today is a better day
My heart is gladdened
Let’s turn the page
January 20th, 2021
2021
Here are my wishes for the new year
I wish for peace in the hearts
I wish for love among men
I wish for justice, so rare these days
I wish for laughter to bring you joy
I wish for understanding that we are one
I wish by Saadi’s wish we would abide
I wish for being kind to nature
I wish for brotherhood among men
I wish we’ll think of others more than ourselves
I wish we take the necessary steps
To build communities that thrive
I wish we each do our share to change the world
And above all, I wish you contentment!
December 31st, 2020
Success
Success is in achieving one’s goals
It’s not living our lives based on what is expected of us
Or what society dictates
The goals we set are meaningful to us
They are usually based on what our talents are
What’s important to us
What we’re passionate about
We don’t have similar goals
We are all different people with different aspirations
I set some goals for myself early in life
Some other goals evolved along the way
I’ve been working towards achieving them
My goals may be unconventional
Unusual and not the norm
But they are my goals
They bring me pleasure
And give my life meaning
I’m learning to be content with my chosen path
December 16th, 2020
Uncertain times
An uncertain year lies ahead
When will we have the vaccines?
Who will get them first?
When will there be enough immunity?
When can we start visiting our friends?
When can musicians sing in front of crowds?
When will the news not be about COVID?
When will the children visit their grandparents?
When can we get together with our friends?
How long will we need to wear our masks?
How long do we need to stay two feet apart?
How long before some people can go back to work?
How long before a sense of normal?
No one has the exact answers to these questions
We have to get comfortable with the uncertainty
We have to do our best to keep our communities safe
Short term pleasure will cause long term pain
We have to act based on the guidelines in place
By cheating, we are cheating no one but ourselves
We have to look beyond what pleases us
We have to realize others’ health depends on us
We live in a ‘me’ society
It’s time to change it to a ‘we’ society
November 27th, 2020
Dark clouds
The cold and damp winds of fall are blowing
I feel the cold in my bones
The dark clouds are shedding tears of sorrow
The exuberance of summer is gone
The world seems unfair sometimes
Goodness is not returned with good
Enmity seems to have the upper hand
As a pandemic ravages the world
I still believe in goodness
I think the good will be victorious
Sometimes it doesn’t look like that
But there is more to our lives than what we see
Goodness resides in the heart
It will be with us forever
Goodness perfumes the world
And cheers other people’s hearts
Injustice is like a cold dark night
But this dark night will eventually give way to dawn
Injustice can’t take goodness away
Injustice is due to the absence of love
November 23rd, 2020
Dedicated to the Baha’is of Iran
