Tag Archive | freedom

Reflections on identity…

Dec1

I’m a Persian girl who grew up in Canada
Married a Dutchman and lives in Quebec now!
Where should I start?
I guess at the beginning…

My Persian heritage has shaped me
It has given me the gift of poetry, hospitality
And strong family ties

My Canadian upbringing
Has given me the gift of religious freedom
Our best attempts at equality of women and men
And freedom to be me
Not what others expect me to be!

My association with the Dutch
Has given me the gift of authenticity
Artistic expression, music and love!

My time in Quebec has given me
My passion for poetry, exploration of the arts
Self discovery and growth!

I’m happy to be all of the above
And I’m thankful for each!

It hasn’t always been east to navigate
Different cultures and try to figure out
Where I belong
But I’m in a good place now
Not hesitant to acknowledge my heritage
Not worried that I don’t fit in
Not confused about where home is

As they say
Home is where the heart is
And perhaps I’ve had many homes
This is the kind of world we live in
Things are not black or white
But all the colours in between

Lida Berghuis
December 1st, 2014

Freedom

Oct15

“Freedom is not being afraid of anything that’s to come”*
And where does this freedom come from?
Perhaps it comes from battles lost and won
From knowing that any trial can be overcome
That what needs to change is us
Not the situation confronting us!

Each situation has something to teach
Each trial comes with some gifts
Darkness will lead to light
There are lessons in each fall!

Lida Berghuis
October 12th, 2014

*Herbie Hancock

Silenced?

Aug22

She was silenced …
Or was she?
Her words will enchant us for years to come
How can one silence a trumpet blast?
How can one hide the sun?

She had to wear a veil and speak from behind a curtain
But even though her physical beauty was lost to others
Her inner beauty was evident in her precious, gem-like words

She could not travel alone
But travel she did
Far and wide
How can a tornado be bottled?
How can a raging river be stopped?

She had no say in who she would marry
But she did not stay in the confines of the home
With the one she did not choose or love

She was not supposed to lead
A woman’s place was at home, not in mosks and schools
But she broke those rules too
Thousands of men and women were devoted to her and
Hung on her every word

Her courage and strength and her fearless temperament
Were her shield
Her conviction, her guide
At a time when women
Were not supposed to be seen or heard
In a culture that did not value women
She broke the mould and cried out!

Her gifts were other-worldy
Her dreams, her guide
Her heart was set on freeing women from bondage
Her inspiration, the Word of God!
Don’t, can’t and it has not been done
Had no effect on this spiritual giant of our time!

Lida Berghuis
August 22nd, 2014

East and West

Dec2

East and West
Like two sisters competing
For the affection of
Their father

East and West
Like two sisters desiring
Freedom
From rules and restrictions

Sister East
Still tied with shackles and chains
Sister West
Turned loose and free

Sister East
Wondering when her turn will be
Sister West
Wondering if freedom has set her free!

Sister East
Needing to be free
Sister West
Wondering what happiness lies in

Sister East,
Sister West
Together
You are free!

Lida Berghuis
Fall 2003

Nostalgia

Oct14

 

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The scent of saffron and rosewater
Reminds me of my Persian past
The busy streets of the bazaar
The veil-clad ladies
Bargaining for the best price
The tree-lined streets of Shiraz
The entrance gate
Darvazé-Quoran

The garden of our house
Where the weeping willows cried
The large dining room
Where many a guest dined

The American school I went to
Where East met West
And my heart was won

Where the language
And culture of the West
Opened my eyes
To another reality
In a land far off

Where I experienced
The richness of diversity
And a door was opened
That could not be shut

And so it was, that gradually
There grew a yearning
In my heart
To know those lands
To experience freedom

Freedom from religious prejudice
Freedom of thought
Freedom to express myself
And not be afraid to talk

Many days have passed
Since those days in Iran
I have called many cities home
I have laughed
I have cried

I have experienced the freedom I longed for
But as I think of my sisters and brothers
In Tehran and Shiraz
I hope that they too
Will soon taste
The sweet savor
Of freedom

Lida Berghuis
Sept. 11th, 2003

Rumi’s wisdom

Jun17

We are the cup that floats on water
Water outside
Water inside

Gradually we drink our fill
The cup fills up

At that moment
The cup sinks and
The water inside
Joins the water outside

Is this annihilation
Or returning home
Is this he end
Or the beginning of freedom?

Lida Berghuis
Oct. 20th, 2011

Creativity and Freedom!

Dec11

 

“There’s a connection between creativity and freedom!”*
That makes sense!

To be creative
One must feel free from that which already exists

To be creative
One must create that which does not exist

Freedom from tradition!
Freedom from convention!
Freedom from the status quo!

Freedom from shoulds
Freedom from don’’ts
Freedom from must be sos

To be creative
One needs to be a rebel of sorts
Otherwise one will follow in the footsteps of others
And not create something new

Creativity and freedom
Such beautiful words
Such powerful words
Such harmonious words

Freedom to dream
Freedom to be
Freedom to open the doors

Lida Berghuis
December 3rd, 2011

*Walter Isaacson

To rhyme or not to rhyme?

Sep25

Why do I rebel against meter and rhyme?
Why don’’t I like constraint that much?

Why do I desire freedom from restrictions?
Why do I run away from convention?

My spirit yearns for freedom and flight
My nature does not like rules that bind

The rebellion of adolescence perhaps I missed
But now I want to do as I please!

There are constraints,
There are some rules
But don’’t like to analyze too much
Don’’t like to brood

Meter and rhyme comforting to some
But they act as a prison when I write

I like my spirit to decide these things
I want flow, not construction, mechanical

I want spontaneity, inspiration and fun
And somehow these don’’t go along with meter and rhyme!

Rhyme I will, when I want
But to analyze every word, every line
Kills the spirit for me
Reduces the poem to mere mechanics

Meaning and beauty what I seek
That’’s why I write, that’’s why I read!

Lida Berghuis
September 14th, 2011img_4219

Now I know why I love poetry!

Aug18

Now I know why I love poetry
Because I can be free a as a bird
I can rhyme or not rhyme
I can be serious or silly
I can discuss material or spiritual stuff
I can discuss anything, or nothing at all

Now I know why I love poetry
Because it sets my spirit free
I can travel anywhere
I can meditate on anything
I am free to be who I am
There aren’’t many rules to restrict me

Now I know why I love poetry
Because it saved me when I was lost
It consoled me when I felt lonely
It made me realize what’’s important in life
It brought me joy and helped me fly

I felt enclosed in the cage of tradition at times
Always yearning for freedom
Poetry is what opened the gate
And let the bird of my spirit out!

Lida Berghuis
August 17th, 2011

The veil of oppression!

Jun15

I wonder how men would feel
If they were told to veil themselves
So that they don’t entice women!

Are men unable to restrain themselves
When they see beauty in women?

Does modesty mean not showing hair
Hands, legs and or the face?

Or were women asked to veil themselves
So they could be not seen and heard?

The veil
A symbol of oppression
The black tent that hides the body
The hair and the spirit of women

The veil
Prescribed by tradition
Not religion

The veil
Unattractive
Restrictive
Dark
And morbid

Beauty is to be celebrated
If you ask me!
Yes, modesty
I agree
But being enclosed
In a black tent
Is not the epitome of modesty

At a time when the East was
Steeped in tradition
Tahirih threw away the veil
Her spirit
Strong and free
Fought against dogma
And tyranny

And because of souls like her
Women will be freed
Their spirits will be freed
Their limbs will be freed
They will be heard
And they will be seen!

Lida Berghuis
April 25th, 2004