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.