Tag Archive | Poetry

Complain less

Dec27

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What do you do when you want to go out and there is nowhere to go?

The stores are closed

It’s cold outside

Can’t visit friends

Can’t write in a coffee shop

It feels a little like a prison to me

But it’s also far from a prison’s reality

I feel ashamed to complain

When others spent years in prison and did not complain

I’m complaining about a few days of lockdown

Although I’m still in touch with my friends around the world

Although I can leave the house if I want

Although I’m not being held against my will

So, in reality I have nothing to complain about

We are creatures that seek comfort and ease

We wish to have our way in things

Freedom to go where we want and do what we want is paramount

The emphasis is on me and I

We need to step back and look at the big picture

We need to think about what others need

We need to be of service to humanity

Comfort and ease will pass

What remains is the lessons we’ve learned

The service we’ve rendered

The souls we’ve touched

What remains after we leave this world

Is hopefully our vibrant spirit tried in the trials of life

And purified in the fire of adversity

These are the things I need to remind myself of again and again

Remember the example others have set

And at the very least, complain less

December 27th, 2020

*The prisoners referred to here are people who were in prison because of their Faith, members of the Baha’i community in Iran.

Success

Dec16

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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

Dark clouds

Nov23

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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

Eternal sunshine?

Nov11

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A year has passed

And my days are still sunny

How long will this sunshine of spirit last?

I’ve become accustomed to ups and downs

How will I react to constancy?

My mood has been a challenge most of my life

The possibility of a downturn each year, well and alive

But there is nothing to do but take it one day at a time

Be grateful for my blessings

Not take my health for granted

And do what I can to bring joy to the world

November 11th, 2020

Solitude

Oct25

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Sometimes a period of solitude is good

Unplugging

And instead of going to far off places

Going within

Sometimes a period of solitude is good

Listening to oneself think

Or just simply being

In my solitude I like to write

That’s how I keep myself company

My dialogue is an internal one

I speak intimately with my spirit

I pose questions

I present ideas

I mull things over

I analyze

Sometimes we need to listen to ourselves

Reflect a bit

Recharge

Solitude can be healing and energizing

But for me it should not last too long

October 24th, 2020

Bonds that bind 2

Sep26

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These bonds of friendship criss cross the world

Borders can’t stop us now

Distance has lost its meaning

Air travel somewhat unnecessary

And then at a click of a link

I find myself with my dear friends

Friends I would not have gotten to know

If it was not for the internet

We sit in our homes

In different time zones

And talk about matters 

That are important to us

We exchange ideas

We smile and laugh

It’s amazing what the World Wide Web 

Has done for us

In the age of Covid and social distancing

Zoom and other platforms have come to our rescue

Can’t imagine life without them now

Sometimes I interact with people who live in other countries

More than people who live in mine

These international bonds have enriched my life

Without them these days, I would feel lost

September 26th, 2020

Our group

Aug10

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Why do I spend so much of my time 

With my friends around the world

On our WhatsApp group or on Zoom?

Why do I try to read every post?

Why have I done that for the past five years without fail?

OK, during two trips I was delinquent 

There is a bond that connects us that goes far back in time

New bonds have been created in recent years

The space in which we meet is a positive one

With words of wisdom

With poetry and song

With artistic photographs

With chit chat of good friends

With laughter and joy

Why would I not want to go back?

 

In this world full of challenges

We need these kind of spaces

Safe spaces

Kind spaces

Happy spaces

Where we can express ourselves

Widen our horizons

Learn new things

Or simply be with our friends

 

So much love and effort 

Has been put in this space over the years

It’s like a building that has been built

A fortress

A fortress to keep us safe during difficult times

This fortress is made of love

 

August 9th, 2020

 

ps: This group of friends is made of over one hundred classmates who went to high school together is the late 1970’s in Iran. Now, we live all over the world, spending time together in the virtual world, as well as coming together in person.

Women of our times

Jul31

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We read a poem written centuries ago

When the place of women was at home

When they had to do the bidding of men

When they did not receive much education

They did the domestic tasks and raised children

A noble thing to do

But in society they were not seen

And jobs outside the house for them was out of reach

Men ruled, made laws and conducted business

They even had time to write poetry

Women had to be pretty, pleasant and obedient

That was their role in society

Those days are behind us

Can’t go back there

Times have changed

Women’s expectations have changed

Educated women do what men do

To their homes they are not confined anymore

Do we have equality?

Not exactly

But we are on our way

Change happens slowly

July 29th, 2020

Yellow window panes

Jul28

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The yellow window panes frame a picture

That reminds us of the grandeur of nature

The yellow window panes are the perfect frame

For the shades of yellow and orange in the sunset

We are moved by the harmony and beauty of what we see

 

The rich colours of the sunset above

The lush green landscape below

Separated by quiet and imposing mountains far off in the distance

Remind us of the beauty of what’s around us if we look out the right window

 

If we look out a window that shows the splendour of nature

And the colours and patterns that mesmerize us

Our heart is gladdened and we feel hopeful

If we look out a window that faces a wall

Obstacles are what we see

 

So let our mind’s eye turn toward that which is hopeful and inspiring

Of the many windows in our home, let’s spend some time

Looking at what cheers and encourages us

And helps us see what is possible

 

July 28th, 2020

 

photo credit:  Yasaman Jahanshahi

Not just sadness

Jul26

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It’s suffering, not just sadness

It’s like a suffocating weight on your chest

That you can’t lift no matter how hard you try

Others think it’s possible and that you’re not trying hard enough

There is no way you can explain to them how it feels

And that you’re trying your hardest

 

It’s suffering not just sadness

Sadness passes

Depression does not

It’s a guest that arrives

And refuses to leave

 

It’s suffering, not just sadness

The kind of suffering that makes you wonder

What it the point of being alive

It pushes you to the edge of the cliff

And you have to prevent the fall

 

It’s suffering, just not sadness

It’s hopelessness

You know this is not how you’re supposed to feel

It’s not normal

 

It’s suffering not just sadness

It’s not temporary

It lingers day after day

Tries your patience

Tests your beliefs

 

It’s suffering not just sadness

It’s a warm and humid room

With a small window

That you can’t open because it has rusted

 

The suffering ends eventually

Sadness leaves

Joy returns

And when it does 

You’ve learned not to take anything for granted in life 

 

July 26th, 2020