Tag Archive | Poetry

News from Iran

Jun24

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

Jun23

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

Destruction

Jun23

 

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 

People person

Mar11

People give me energy 

I need to be out and about

A solitary life is not for me 

I would wither, I would not be fine 

My smile is usually returned with a smile 

I was not happy when we were wearing masks

How were people supposed to see my smile?

How could I communicate with them without words?

Being with people is like walking in the sun

Everything is brighter

It’s easier to smile 

I guess I’m a people person 

And I always will be 

It must be hard to believe 

I was shy as a teen

March 11, 2024

why I write

Feb28

When I feel something is not right 

When I miss my smile 

When things don’t seem exciting 

When there is a yearning in my heart

I draw or I write 

When I miss the sunshine 

Because it’s been raining all day 

When I need a pick me up

Any time of day

I draw or I write 

When I draw or write

I’m in another world

My focus is on the paper

And the thoughts in my head

It’s a magical time 

And when the poem is done 

When the drawing is finished 

I feel uplifted and I want to smile 

What is this magic? 

The act of creation?

Why does it cheer me up? 

Isn’t creating beauty therapeutic after all?

I don’t know the answers to these questions

And that’s fine 

All I know is that I will be writing and drawing

For the rest of my life 

February 28th, 2024

Tangled

Jan3


Tangled in my zentangles

And there is no way out 

It’s an obsession

It’s hard to stop

So much variety

So many possibilities 

All leading to beauty

Unexpected, a surprise

If I write poems

I try to write everyday

If I make collage cups

I keep making them and collecting them

Now that I draw zentsngles

It has becomes a daily affair

Something in the repetition 

Is soothing, reassuring 

It’s all about art

And art is uplifting

And there is the element of surprise

My work is never planned ahead 

So it is that my zentangles 

Have tangled me in their web 

Dec 30, 2023

magical alphabet

Nov20

They look like writing

Beautiful, soulful, intricate strokes

But this alphabet was created by Lorraine Prichard

Inspired by the Tablets written in the hand writing of the Bab

A Holy soul in the East has influenced a receptive soul in the West

And the result is mesmerizing 

Never say, “They are easy to be reproduced”

There is a lot of precise moment, and astonishing artistry involved 

And Lorraine does this effortlessly 

Black strokes on a large, striking, yellow upside down triangle

White lines on a black rectangular background

And the list goes on

These creations come from a magical place

That we don’t often consider or think about

Nov. 19, 2023

After Lorraine’s studio exhibition 

Living in the now

Oct29

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The future is unpredictable 

Especially when you have been diagnosed with cancer

There is always the chance of recurrence down the line 

But you can’t think like that 

You can’t think you are totally healthy either 

Because that may not end up being true 

So what do I do? 

I am healthy right now 

Relatively anyway 

So I’ll focus on that 

And appreciate each day

I am healthy and I’m getting the best treatment possible 

So, I’m grateful 

And I’m thankful for the lessons I have learned

And what I can share with others

Which will hopefully make a difference 

The future is unpredictable 

But I will live in the present 

And appreciate now! 

October 25, 2023

My spirit

Sep19

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My laughter does not age

There are wrinkles around my mouth

But my laughter still brings joy to others

My love does not age

My heart may show signs of the time elapsed

But my love grows deeper 

My writing does not age

My hands are not as smooth as before 

But what I write is based on much more experience 

My feet and knee hurt sometimes

But my legs carry me to new places every day 

My courage grows

My compassion strengthens 

And my appreciation increases

My body my age

But my spirit is strong and perhaps more vibrant 

September 19, 2023 

Gratitude

Sep12

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Not to take life for granted
Not to take health for granted
Not to discount the amazing opportunity that is aging
Not to wait to do what one wants to do
These are the gifts of a disease like cancer

Gratitude for the treatments that are available
Gratitude for the support of friends and family
Gratitude for the strength that comes from the spiritual world
Gratitude for managing another challenge in life
Gratitude for the lessons these challenges teach us
Gratitude for deep conversations I’ve had with friends as a result
Gratitude for the love I feel from so many people
Gratitude for learning to live life purposefully
Gratitude for the warm embrace of friendship
These are the things I’m grateful for

September 12, 2023