Tag Archive | sacrifice

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 

Sacrifices

May30

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A child is born

And brings much joy

But the mother makes many sacrifices

The sleepless nights

The fatigue and feeling overwhelmed 

Her priority becomes her child

The child grows

And in each stage of growth

There are challenges 

And the mother learns and grows as well 

The teen years are the time the child

Tries to be their own person

And their life starts to separate from that of the mother

Early adulthood are sweet years

The independent child becomes a friend 

A helpmate, a confidant 

And then it’s time for the child to leave 

To start their own journey in life 

And the mother once again must sacrifice 

The bonds she has carefully created over the years

Must stretch somewhat 

The distance between her and her child has to grow 

But the mother’s soul will always be close 

To that of her child

Her thoughts will be with him/her

Her love will go on 

April 30, 2023

Fists raised up

Oct19

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The fervour of these youth

The anger of these youth

Their fists raised in the air

Their hearts full of hope

These youth are speaking up for freedom

They are tired of being told lies

They want a different future

And they are sacrificing their lives

The passion of these youth

Throwing away their scarves

Showing what was hidden

For years now

These youth are being arrested

They are dying

Because they want a different life

Because they are no longer afraid to speak up

I’m proud of these youth

I honor their cause

I stand with them

Until there is freedom

I’m not paying a price with my life

Or with my imprisonment

I can only speak up with my pen

With my fists in the air

I’m awe-struck by the bravery of these youth

Climbing walls without headscarves

October 19th, 2022

Only my pen

Sep30

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You are on the streets

Demanding your rights

Demonstrating for equality

Jeopardizing your life

I only have my pen

And with my pen

I will sing your praises

I will applaud your courage

I will celebrate valour 

You are heroines raising your voices

Voices that are being heard around the world

You are sacrificing your safety

Risking arrest and imprisonment

Even death

I only have my pen

And with my pen

I will ask others to pay attention to your cause

To demand justice and cry out your names

In great assemblies

So we can honor the memory of all the Mahsa Aminis of Iran

I only have my pen

 

September 30th, 2022

The point of no return

Sep25

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I see people persisting and persevering

I hear their cries

Asking for freedom

Asking for equality

Asking for justice

I see people paying a price

With bullets in their bodies

With their bruises and injuries

With being intimidated and arrested

I see people’s bravery

Women removing their headscarves

The symbol of subservience

When not their choice

Men standing with women

Boys and girls arising

I see Iranians outside Iran

Supporting their bothers and sisters

Worrying for their safely

Admiring their courage

Praying for their well being

I wonder how long those in Iran have to

Put their lives on the line?

When will other compatriots join them and support them?

When will government agents stop hitting

And  sometimes killing their own people?

Their own brothers and sisters?

Their own compatriots?

When will this talisman break?

When will this darkness give way to light?

When will the people’s wishes for justice materialize?

The future is bright

But the path is to freedom

Is paved with blood and sacrifice and

Unity is the hallmark of victory

We are reaching a point of no return

Can this nightmare be coming to an end?

September 25th, 2022

For the brave women and men of Iran

The strength in our scars

Feb28

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My friend told me very matter of factly

That she had had a double mastectomy

I had to take a minute to digest what she said

And yet she is the one who had gone through such an invasive surgery

 

She didn’t seem to feel sorry for herself

She had a serene look on her face

She said some things had actually improved in her home life as a result

 

I’m sure what she had gone through could not have been easy

Where did her strength come from?

 

The mystery of sacrifice

We give up something to gain something else

 

Is it fair?

Perhaps it’s not about fairness

It’s about our response to the challenges of life

 

If through suffering, we didn’t gain strength

That would be unfair

 

Our scars are the symbols of our resilience

Our fortitude

Our victory

 

February 27th, 2020

Milad

May2

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The story of courage

Seeking truth and looking for it everywhere

The story of curiosity

Trying to understand society and its development

The story of action

Not content with theoretical knowledge

The story of love

Love for one’s fellow man

Love for the Devine

The story of an ardent search

Unencumbered by tradition

The story of friendships

Transformative friendships

The story of sacrifice 

Not compromising one’s beliefs

The story of challenges 

Arriving one after another

The story of perseverance

In the face of trials

And finally the story of freedom

Freedom to be

Freedom to love

Freedom to serve one’s fellow man

Not needing to hide

The story of audacity of the 

Descendants of the Dawnbreakers

The story of Milad 

April 30th, 2019

nothing changes

Oct1

Days go by and nothing changes

The same room
The same people
The same food
The same isolation
The same restrictions

The same injustice
The same false accusations
The same unfair treatment

And as there is no change
Days slow to a crawl
The world loses its colour
And it takes a mighty effort
To see the cup as half full
Or by now, a quarter full!

Patience, immense patience is required
Faith, an unshakable faith is needed
Love, a boundless love is called for

Only a noble soul can be subjected
To such unfair treatment and not complain

Only a noble soul can be thankful for having
Been chosen to suffer in the path of love
For his Beloved

Only a noble soul can stay strong and
Not lose heart

The same walls
The same colourless surroundings
The same deprivations

The same amazing courage!
The same reliance on God!
The same great sacrifice!

Lida Berghuis
October 1st, 2015
For the Yaran

What can I say?

Jun28

What can I say?

What can I write about the one who has sacrificed
His freedom for love?
What can I say about the one who can still laugh
Despite these trials?
What can I say about the one whose patience
Is being tested by love?

It seems like we are sometimes punished for love
“the watchman is running after us”
and all seems lost

But if we see the end in the beginning
We will see the light that emanates from this sacrifice
A light so bright
That it illumines the path for the rest of us

Deeds not words are needed today
His deeds an example for all of us
Kindness like honey drips from his every word
The scent of humility wafts gently toward us

What can I say about the one who has sacrificed
His freedom for love?
You inspire us and you make us proud!
Your friendship rejuvenates us and
We honor you for your sacrifice!

Lida Berghuis
June 27th, 2015

For Afif Naimi

The little voice I don’t listen to…

Sep2

I may have figured out my limits somewhat…
But sometimes I don’t read the signals my body and mind
Send me, correctly

The ‘I’m tired’ signal is ignored
The ‘I’m frustrated’ signal is dismissed
The ‘I’ve taken on too much’ signal is pushed away!

At these times
I forget that I’m not super-human
I forget that I can say No!
I forget that I can drop projects temporarily
I forget that I can ask for help
I forget that my energy rises and falls
And sometimes I can do more, and sometimes
I need to do less!

I get caught up in the ‘rat race’ of service
I think more is better
That I will manage somehow
That next week, I will be less tired
That soon, I will catch up on my sleep!
That if I keep smiling, I won’t cry!

I forget to advocate for myself
I forget I don’t have to please everyone
I forget it’s my responsibility to know my limits
And say ‘no’ when it has been reached!

I forget that I need a lot of down-time
Time to write
Time to reflect
Time to meditate
Time to relax!

I keep going despite fatigue
Despite the fact that I get a feeling that
I have taken on too much again!

I don’t listen to the voice that tells me
It’s too much…
You’re not getting enough rest!
You need to ask for help!
You need to communicate better!

… Until it’s too late!

Lida Berghuis
August 31st, 2014