In the darkness of the world
Their spirit burns bright
In the frozen land
The warmth of their heart melts the ice
In the winter of the world
Their presence is like the blossoms of the spring
In the heat of the desert
They are like life giving water
In the angry world
They are the breezes of tranquility
In the vengeful world
They are examples of forgiveness
They are patient
They endure
They sacrifice
You can try to crush their spirit
But they are much stronger than you think
October 4, 2026
You can try to break me
But my spirit is unbreakable
Solid and strong
Yet light and airy
You wonder how that is possible?
In the world if spirit
Everything is possible
Infinite patience is possible
Courageous optimism exits
An all consuming love for the Beloved
Runs through one’s veins
My spirit is unbreakable
It has been purified in the fire of trials
It has learned to endure most severe tests in the cocoon of love and
It has metamorphosed into a butterfly
It flies in the atmosphere of fidelity
Free, even inside the prison walls
My spirit is unbreakable
September 16th, 2026
For Mahvash Sabet
There is radio silence
The internet has been high jacked for over a month
Why does anyone need to be in touch with others after all?
Especially if they live abroad
It’s not as if people have relatives outside Iran
Why would they need to hear from each other during a war?
The internet has been high jacked for over a month
Who needs the internet after all?
It’s not as if people make a living using the internet
It’s not as if they purchase and sell merchandise
It’s like putting duct tape across someone’s mouth
Don’t they realize they need to eat and talk?
Relatives worry about their loved ones
Friends can’t be in touch
Businesses come to a halt
And why?
Because information is the most dangerous commodity during war
April 5, 2026
The most idyllic time in my school years was my elementary school time
Grades one to grade five
The American school I went to
Boys and girls playing at recess in the yard
No uniform
Classes in English and Persian
By learning English and my introduction to the West
My world opened up
I could see beyond the confines of Iran
I could see how other people lived
What their concerns were
I learned about pollution and the plight of African Americans
I realized there was much more freedom in the West
For women and girls
I learned there was no religious prejudice against Baha’is there
We had Halloween parties
end of the year plays
Art and gym class
And all this took place is a large home where the principal of the school lived upstairs
The woman an American
The man a Persian
I couldn’t get enough of the English language
I wanted to read English books and talk to English speaking people
As if English meant freedom to me
My gateway to thee world
March 9, 2026
These are awful times
Innocent people are being killed in the streets
In hundreds and thousands
Theses are historic times
Their cry for freedom can be heard across the country and across the world
These are uncertain times
Where are we heading and how?
These are awesome times
Seeing the whole country rise and demand their rights
These are hopeful times
Because we have passed the point of no return
January 24, 2026
The dust has settled
The missiles have been silenced
People are going back to work
But is there peace?
Peace is not the absence of war
Peace is serenity in people’s hearts
Peace is justice in the land
Peace is love for your fellow man
I pray for the day when won’t need spies
I pray for the day when negotiations will solve the problems that arise
I pray for the day of equality
When demonstrators won’t have to die in the streets
Peace is not the absence of war
Peace is love in our hearts
June 25, 2025
I draw
I listen to the news about Iran in Persian
I cook
I listen to the news from Iran
These scenes were unimaginable ten years ago
Even five years ago
My contact with my Persian classmates
Has opened my world to news from them
And news from my land of birth
The news is heart breaking most of the time
Countries being bombed
People getting injured and dying
I hope that when the dust has settled
There will be freedom in Iran
There will be equality in Iran
There will be justice in Iran
I draw
I listen to the news about Iran
My heart is with the people of Iran
June 24, 2025
No internet?
No phone calls?
What is this?
1985?
When communication was at a turtle’s pace
When we wrote letters and waited
Waited for many days before we received an answer
And in between
Radio silence
Except for the occasional phone call
But now phones don’t work either
What are we supposed to do to communicate?
We live in the age of instant communication
Our lives are built around it
Deprivation is like tying one’s hands behind one’s back
This is unacceptable and unfair
Only fearful people would do that
Those who fear for their very existence
I hope these days will be over soon
And we’ll be in touch with each other as we used to be
June 20th, 2025
War in Iran
Death and destruction
Worry and consternation
No news from family
Friends in danger
These are dark days
And as much as I dislike this situation
I remain hopeful
That the sacrifices people are making
Will bear fruit
It’s hard to imagine now
But change happens suddenly
And without much notice
The Berlin Wall falls
The Soviet Union shatters
All in the blink of an eye
We pray for better days
For peace and prosperity
For justice and unity
There is a light at the end of the tunnel
No matter how dim
May these days of war
End as quickly as they started
June 22nd, 2025
War in Iran
My heart aches for the Baha’is of Iran
A people who want nothing except serving their country and countrymen
And how are they rewarded?
With jail time
With raids on and theft from their homes
With the closing of their business
With them being unable to go to university
With being disrespected and counted as unclean
My heart aches for the Baha’is of Iran
Those who want to help their fellow man
Those who obey their government despite its injustices
Those who don’t lash out despite the cruelty they endure
We have been silent too long
What do we fear?
When a few minorities are discriminated against
Eventually many other groups will be as well
Because injustice like a virus spreads
It’s only antidote is the love and support of others
And speaking up for them
We are all one family
And our story is one
Dec 6th, 2023
