I cherish my solitude
A time to reflect
A time to write
There must be no distraction
I especially like coffee shops
This hour in the day has been carved into it
Because I’ve repeated it so many times
It’s now a groove into which I happily fall
It’s an hour when I recharge
It’s a gift I give to myself
This time has brought me so much joy
I’ve spent these hours blissfully
Something so simple
Can nourish my soul
It can be done anytime
Anywhere in the world
March 10th, 2019
To climb an impossible climb
To go where no one has gone before
To look fear in the face and not flinch
To be as determined as can be
We all climb different mountains in our lives
Some are small, some are big
Can’t beat the feeling when you get to the top
But getting there ain’t easy
An iron will
Support of friends and
Sticktoitiveness
All necessary
The more challenging the climb
The richer the reward
And the more interesting the story
March 12th, 2019
Water falls falls falls
Words that flow flow flow
Where they go go go
No one knows
Water falls falls falls
Thoughts aglow glow glow
Face that shines shines shines
Beauty bright
Water falls falls falls
Hands that write write write
Words on fire fire fire
Feelings show
Water falls falls falls
Days go on on on
When we love love love
Then we grow
March 10th, 2019
The silence of the early morning
When the world is still sleeping
When the sun has not risen
When my mind is refreshed after a night of rest
When the day ahead awaits
All I hear is the tick tock of the clock in the living room
And the hum of the heater
And that’s if I listen for it
Otherwise, I’m lost in my thoughts
On a sea of tranquility
No one to distract me
No one who needs me
No urgent feeling to do things
Other than contemplate, read and write
It’s the magic of the early morning
Is my spirit closer to its source?
Is my mind not clouded with the tasks of the day?
What is the source of this calm I feel?
March 4th, 6:00 am
When I hear words that sadden my heart
sully my soul and make me feel like the
day has turned into night
When I hear words that are like awful
inkblots on a white silk scarf
I feel like I’ve plunged into a swamp
That I’m struggling to get out
But I keep being pulled back in
I feel the heaviness of the mud
Mud that has sullied my skin
I long for a fountain of pure water
To wash the dirt off of me
The swamp is insistent though
And I feel trapped
Suddenly something beautiful catches my eyes
I see a field of wildflowers in the distance
My mood changes a bit
The swamp seems less menacing
I keep my gaze on the flowers
And their beauty gives me the courage to
Continue my struggle
And eventually I free myself
From the ugly swamp of dark emotions
February 24th, 2019
Words and ideas
Crisscross the world
At the speed of lightening
Words about how we feel
The challenges we’ve had
The insights we’ve gleaned
Developing friendships
Expanding friendships
That’s what we do
Technology has brought us together
This was impossible
Ten years ago
We come together daily
Make each other laugh and think
We shower each other with praise
Wash the dust off our spirits
We are spinning a web of love
Across the world
Connecting our hearts
We are helping each other grow
February 23rd, 2019
Are you inherently weaker?
Not resilient enough?
Not optimistic by nature?
Unable to pull yourself up by your bootstraps?
These are questions one can face when depressed
Advice that is not helpful:
It will pass, be patient
Try harder
Be grateful for what you have
You just need to change your attitude
People mean well
But we don’t understand depression
Well enough yet
Depression holds so many of us
In its grips
No one talks about it though
It’s easier to pretend all is well
It’s easier to not answer why or why again
So we hide behind the mask of normal
And very few people know our pain
Depression resembles laziness
Lack of vigor
A negative outlook towards life
Sadness
Hopelessness
And how is one to explain
That you are trying hard
You are doing your best to feel better
You are not enjoying wallowing in your grief
That you don’t have complete control over how you feel
Good questions
The answers are not so obvious
February 20th, 2019
Peacocks should be peacocks and sparrows, sparrows
The sparrow who tries to be a peacock fails
It gets disappointed
And may even forget how to be a sparrow
We’re all different
With different capacities
Abilities
And energy levels
Comparing ourselves to others does not work
Yet we do that often
I do that often
Sometimes I feel I’m driving in the slow lane
Maybe I should switch lanes
Then I’ll get to my destination faster
But if my car can’t handle speed well
I could crash and never get to my destination
The slow lane is there for a reason
And there are others with me in the slow lane
And as long as we continue steadily
We’ll get to where we want to go
Maybe we’ll see more of the surroundings
In the slow lane
February 5th, 2019
One cup of meditation
Along with a cup of coffee
Drunk in a peaceful place
A place where I’m not distracted by daily responsibilities
A place l return to regularly
No matter how busy life gets
One cup of meditation
As addictive as coffee
Often leads to thoughts being written down
This can be a cure for my weary soul
A balm for my sensitive heart
One cup of meditation
Along with a cup of coffee
Consumed daily
Gives me the energy and enthusiasm
To carry on
February 2019
Prayer beads
Made of warm brown wood
The tassel, a fiery red
Lie in front of me on my footstool
Prayer beads
Take me back to Iran
The country I come from
Held in the hands of a holy one in a photograph
Held in the hands of the merchant at the bazaar as he sells his wares
Held in the hand of the Sufi sage as he moves the beads with his fingers like he has done a thousand times
Prayer beads
Come in all colors and forms
Made of wood or glass or stone
Prayer beads
Are sacred to me
They connect us to our creator
2 February 2019
lida's musings 