Slumber

SLUMBER



As the day draws to a close
Reflecting on the steps I chose
I contemplate, on the good and bad
To which I might add
What could have been done
And the new direction, I've begun

As I lay my head to sleep
I think promises meant to keep
The fatigue of a long hard day
The stress slowly doth give way

How will tomorrow fair
When with today I doth compare
Will the lessons learned, bring insight
Will the morrow be more bright
What did I learn on this day
Will it upon me, hold its sway
Are there lessons, to repeat
Of these I’m sure, are replete

As I start to drift away
Racing to another day
A smile comes to my face
As my heart slows its pace
My soul beckons me to come
Following into the realm beyond
For now that trip must be brief
But from this world it is relief
-Shiidon, July 2008



Reflecting on the Bahá'í Writings on life after death and the mystery that is life itself, I understand there is a mystery to what happens after we close our eyes to sleep. There is a quote I say everyday and it speaks to this to an extent:

O SON OF BEING! Bring thyself to account each day ere thou art summoned to a reckoning; for death, unheralded, shall come upon thee and thou shalt be called to give account for thy deeds.

We sleep, we dream. Many dreams are related to what is happening around us or what has happened to us. However, there are those dreams that end up coming to reality sometimes ten years after the actual dream. Scientists do their best to try to explain this but as I understand it, Bahá'u'lláh says that this experiencing events dreamed of years ago is a sign from God of the afterlife. There are times that I am glad "it was only a dream" and then there are times I am sad that I woke up. Anyway, it is late for me and it is time for me to sleep.........

Friendship

Well, tomorrow Shervin arrives back at his mothers home town of Antwerp, Belgium. He will spend a couple of days with his grandfather and if all goes well he will be visiting parts of Antwerp, Bruges and Paris. I think that my absence from poems for a time now has been from being a worried parent brooding over what was happening. Apparently he is having a good time now and has rented and ridden bikes in Denmark, German and the Netherlands. I look forward to having him home in just 11 more days. I am particularly moved by the fact that Shervin has been tested and stood his ground on not drinking alcohol, backbiting and other such tests that confront us so much in our lives. He also found the value and importance of prayer which is profound to me as well.

I am also seeing the semester ending for the English as a foreign language program that I am working with in Iran. The class ends around the 20th of August. I am certain that this is an area of service that I will continue to do as it is so rewarding and all of us learn different things together.

This poem came to me a few days ago.

FRIENDSHIP

It hits like a stone
Bringing with it
An audible groan
i turn left and right
As if the answer
Is in sight

Then i spy
Before my eye
A friend indeed
One who will heed
And most likely
Not misread

am I right
am I wrong
the answer for which
I long

Through friendship and trust
The question is thrust
the conversation flows
with thoughts between us
An understanding shows

‘Ti's not about
right or wrong
But rather in what way
do we belong
for as these test come
the better we become

in the end
‘Ti's not anothers will
To which we bend
we gather the words
spoken with trust
and with care
from which we share
the answer we know
and from which we grow
-Shiidon, July 2008

Land of Dreams

LAND OF DREAMS

Standing behind the glass
Sighing deeply reaching out
Looking on, wanting to shout
Time stands still
Held together by will
All sounds
Becoming shrill

I bare myself to all Your tests
If only for a moment rest
For that dear one of mine
That is suffering so
The one I had to let go

We watch them go
And see them grow
Never for sure
Where things will lead
Life marches on at such speed

I know the time will come
when there is little
that can be done
but while breath still
comes from me
I will strive
To set him free
From the burden of tests
Beyond his means
Until I go, to the land of dreams
-shiidon, July 2008

Well, I will need to explain a few things regarding this poem. Starting last week Shervin was getting homesick. At the same time Shahdi decided to give a stay at her mothers a try. Both developed into their own crisis for me to deal with. Regarding Shahdi, she was able to stay at her friends house and is doing fine. Shervin, on the other hand, developed into a most severe crisis. Friday, at 2:00am he called and it was not going good at all. Lets say that he and his uncle did not see eye to eye and Shervin wanted to leave the boat and walk away. I told him that this was not a good idea since he lacked the resources to deal with being on his own and he was on an out island in Denmark. I suggested that he rethink his approach to the trip and read the Tablet of Ahmad, a powerful prayer of Bahá'u'lláh while I try to find a way to bring him home. I ended up not sleeping, barely teaching my class on Skype at 7:00am and then wrote this poem. The poem seemed to bring some solace as I tried in vain to come up with a way to bring Shervin back. Today, at noon, I spoke with a different Shervin. His uncle came on first and told me how well things went and how impressed he was with Shervin. He went to town on his own and purchased pastries for breakfast, he had tidied up etc. I then spoke with Shervin who is still homesick but came up with a strategy of coping. Most inportant was that he was positive. He mentioned sitting on the bow of the yacht while playing his violin. When he finished he was greeted by applause from some people who had gathered to hear him play (unbeknownst to him). He was upbeat and positive. He said that the prayer seemed to help and that he had read it to the point of where it says he who "reads this tablet with absolute sincerity..." and realized he was not paying attention and re read the tablet.

I am proud of Shervin and feel that already he has shined on this trip so many ways. It is such a joy to see one grow up from a small and helpless baby to a grown human being. I am grateful for the prayers and the solace that I received from those who were aware of the grief I was feeling at being helpless over here and not being there for him. I am sure there are more tests to come on this trip, but I am confident that he will weather those storms as well as he has the physical ones already.

Son

Son



Hand in hand
we stand
Stepping back
I let go
He walks ahead
Careful and slow
His first steps
He will never know
The way is there
For me to show

On his bike, on a hill
Watching expectantly
He stands and looks
Down on me
Not wanting to ride
Afraid of falling
While I stand below
Towards him calling
Coasting down he comes
My heart beating like a drum
I am there for him should he need
He smiles past me with great speed

I watched him board a plane that day
He turned and smiled in a special way
This time the line I could not cross
To follow, no hope, I felt such loss
I turned and smiled as I walked away
Though I still had much to say
For I saw my son grow up that day
-Shiidon, July 2008



Shervin boarded a Plane this past Saturday. He arrived in Belgium and was greeted by his Belgian Uncle and Grandfather. Monday, coincidentally his eighteenth birthday, he boarded his Uncles 38 foot yacht. For the next four weeks they will be sailing up the coast from Belgium and across Germany to the "East Sea" and around Scandinavia. The photo is Shervin the night before he left in front of a painting my mother made of ships at sea.

Shervin called today. It was 2:00am and he was aboard the yacht ready to fall asleep. He told me that things were going well. He is already having adventures. He said that they almost capsized today. I know that I should be scared and worried but I am thrilled for him. They are having fun. He wanted me to know that it was when he laid his head down to sleep that it was then that he missed me, his friends and home.

Giving

GIVING

Giving and sharing
Reaching and caring
Many a soul
was reached this day
over and again
it did go this way

As the day draws
To a close
And I find myself
As one who knows
That a cost doth come
From giving so much
Finding with myself
So out of touch

And with a sigh
It comes to be
How Empty am i
The cost to me

Who will give to me?
I look around
The reality is
None can be found

By and large
It comes to be
The place of recharge
Is before me
When we turn our face
To that Higher Place
And open ourselves
To His grace
We find ourselves
Filling with love
From that glorious place
Found above

And again it comes to be
That more is needed of me
And again I give
For this is what I live
And with great care
With all I share
Of me
-Shiidon, July 2008


There are fifty youth, my kids included, at the Granger Youth Intensive. It is two weeks of fun and study of books that are designed to polish these "gems of inestimable value." While it is true that this poem is somewhat of a self reflection, it is also true for so many of the others that are there sacrificing their time, resources and energy to the education and development of these beautiful youth. One particular soul has been , as usual, working tirelessly with these youth. I mentioned to them how much I appreciated their efforts. I also pointed out how each one of these fifty youth would eventually be at a place in their lives were they would reach out to the youth in their day and share the way that this person did. Mind you, every adult and parent that is involved is as important to this growth. This poem is for all these giving souls. What a joy it is to see so much unity and love. I can't wait to see them all again this Wednesday for the Holy Day observance.

Summer

SUMMER

‘Ti's high noon
On a midsummer day
Everywhere reached
By the suns ray
Heating all
it finds in its way
baking the ground
into clay

yet in the stillness of heat
the signs of life replete
Birds in the air
Cows under the tree
Insects wherever
The eye can see

In this season of light
chasing away night
There is much to be found
That brings delight

The cloud that brings rain
The tree covered lane
The richness of nature
In its domain

The spirits uplifted
The verve of life
Of sorrows sifted
The time
when heart and mind
upon the breezes drifted
airing out and
from darkness lifted

Thankful in
the heat and sun
of these gifts
that hath begun
to bring us ease
from troubles released
bringing upon all
a calming peace
-Shiidon, July 2008

Walking 6.5 miles at temperatures of 103 degrees can be daunting. However, creative thoughts can still be inspired by what is taken in on such walks. This poem came to me on such a walk. Most of my life has been living in the tropics, sub tropics or the south of the United States. Summers for me are always a memory of intense heat. While Summer may not be as intense for many who read this, the freedom of spirit and what evokes ease of heart and mind knows no geographic boundery. As I have probably mentioned before, as I get older, time goes by faster. This means that the heat comes and goes much faster than it did when I was young. While Fall ushers in Winter as Spring does Summer, there is a settled peace and ease that comes with summer.

Angel

It is the eve of Shervin, my son, leaving for Europe to see his Uncle and sail away. I will tell you more about this later. When I was reflecting on this I was seeing a part of my life changing as he is now turning 18 as well. At the same time I was reflecting on loss, and the loss some of my dear friends have experienced when they lost their children. This poem came to me as I was driving home from an activity.

ANGEL

Oh my dear one
Why did you go
How I miss you
If only you did know

How I think of you
Day and night
Almost seeing you
Just out of sight

Sometimes I wonder
How would it be
to laugh again
cry again
your head against me

to hold you again
I do yearn
The desire is strong
Within me it doth burn

Oh mother, oh father
Dearest of all
If only you could know
Where I did go
It is all you have said, and more
One day you too,
Will walk through that door
For now though know
That I am praying for you
As you pray for me
Each looking out for the other
Striving to our destiny

I am with you each and every day
And you can be with me in a way
For when you long with me to be
Close your eyes and you will see
In our dreams we will be together
And soon it will be forever
-Shiidon, July 2008