Tag Archive | Poetry

The swamp

Mar1

 

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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

Web of love 2

Feb25

 

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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 

One cup

Feb4

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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

Feb2

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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

At the mall

Jan28

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Sitting in the modern bazaar, the mall

Looking at all sorts of people walking by

A black guy with braided hair with his headphones on

A twenty something girl with purple hair

A guy with a very long beard

A girl looking at her phone as she walks

Sales signs everywhere to entice the shoppers

Chocolate boxes in the shape of hearts for the upcoming valentine

A man carrying a suit he just bought

Someone next to me talking on her phone about her flight

Someone walking with scarf, hat and mittens on

Maybe she just came inside

And me sitting comfortably on a bench with my notebook

Each person I see has their own story

The guy with the long beard may be grieving a loss

  1. The girl with purple hair may have just got some good news

The man carrying the suit may be going to a friend’s wedding

The person who is smiling may actually be sad inside

Friends talking

Maybe giving each other advice

Shiny new merchandise everywhere

Salespeople who are eager to sell

And in the middle of this material world

We are the carriers of our souls

Sensitive souls that need to be loved 

We each have our own story 

Some of it written, some unknown 

January 27th, 2019

Stay with me

Jan27

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Once my daughter was distraught 

Life seemed confusing

Questions were many

Joy was gone

And tears ran down her cheeks 

Like rain from the clouds

 

I wanted to help her

I asked her what I should do

She said sit next to me mom

Don’t leave me alone

 

I sat with her

We talked a little 

I tried to console her

But later she told me 

I left too soon

 

She said she needed me there

I asked her what for?

Just to be with me mom

So I wouldn’t feel alone

 

Loneliness is the worst thing

During hard times

 

26 January 2019

Black and brown

Jan25

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Natasha and I are sitting side by side

Talking about organizing the storage space in our house

Growing an indoor herb garden

And cleaning out parts of her room

 

She is very talkative and not on her phone

And we are chatting it up

But you wouldn’t want to see us now 

Or take our photograph

 

We are sitting side by side in the hair salon

With color on our hair 

She is going from brown to black

And I’m going from black to brown

The grass is always greener on the other side

January 24th, 2019

My wish to write

Jan9

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I wish to write I told someone in my youth

You haven’t lived enough he told me

You have to experience life

To have something to write about

The cup needs to be filled

Before it can quench someone’s thirst

 

I was disappointed 

Even distraught 

I wanted to write ‘now’

 

But he was proven to be right

I had not lived long enough

Not shed enough tears

Not questioned things I believed in

Not gone through confusion and doubt

Not fallen so hard that it was difficult to get up

 

The caged bird sings in captivity

It’s her release

It’s her cry of help

In the lonely confines of the cage

It’s what keeps her occupied

It’s what keeps her alive and brings her joy 

And others are moved by her song

 

January 2019

Broken dreams

Jan8

 

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Shards of broken glass

Showing us a violent outburst

            An angry response

            A desperate plea to be seen

Even though the mirror has been shattered 

Shards of broken glass

            A sad sight

            Beauty destroyed 

            Reflections stolen

            Light darkened

And we can’t put the pieces back together 

We can’t return to the past

The deed has been done

A scream let out

Broken dreams 

Lay among the shards of glass

 

January 4th, 2019

The struggle

Jan4

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This is a life of struggle

Struggle of good against evil

Right against wrong

Spiritual versus the material

Light versus darkness

And we will never be free of this struggle

We will never fully arrive

We will never fully conquer our ego

We will falter and fall

We will questions things we hold dear

We will fight external and internal demons

Storms will continue to assail us

Yes, there will be periods of respite

But the next storm is just around the corner

This is not a life of comfort and ease

No matter how materially successful we are

Tests will batter us like powerful waves

Hail will pelt our heads

This is how we grow

This is how we prove ourselves

This is how we show our steadfastness

But struggle we will

And struggle we must

January 3rd, 2019