Mortality

MORTALITY

Standing on the edge of time

Wondering when I’ll cross the line

Is it time to go?

Or just a time

 for mortality to show

 

I reflect back on times gone by

Places I’ve seen

times I did cry

in joy, pain, loss and sorrow

Never knowing

If there’d be a morrow

 

Regrets, I think not

Repeat my life

Not a chance

All those tests

Did life enhance

 

Each and every life

I did meet

A connection deep within

Did seat

 

Regardless of time, distance or place

The bonds of friendship leave their trace

Even though we may not meet again

And then…

 

When I cross that line

I will know twill be time

To walk into the unknown

Where my soul hath grown

And there will surround

With hearts of joy abound

All those souls that I have known

-Shiidon, January 2008

I have been posting photos of my trips to the Bahamas on my Facebook page.  It has been a profound experience.  Between the two trips many connections were made.  The joy of rediscovering old friends and talking to them as well.  At one point as I am chatting back and forth with Susan Sweeting I get a call and it is from her in Grand Bahama!  It was a joy and we spoke for over an hour and a half catching up on old times and friends.  Then several people who I knew or had known of back then started tagging the photos and we chatted about them.  This poem came from this as well as other influences this week in my life.

One example of the connections is my friend Cindy Adleparpar, whom I first met as Cindy Leonard.  She was a youth from the Bahamas and I was a pre-youth from Florida.  She was kind to me and included us Jr. Youth in a puppet show the youth were doing.  I was 12 or thirteen at the time.  It was special.  I then met and saw her again in Nassau on my first teaching trip in the Bahamas.  Later she moved to Houston and married one of my dear friends Payam.  I purchased a necklace that she and her sister designed and made in Peru with the Ringstone symbol on it.  On my second trip to the Bahamas Cindy was not there but a part of her was.  In the above picture you can see the necklace is on me.  On another interesting note, Cindy and Payam live in Lakeforest California, the same community as my dear cousin Ramin and his family and my Aunt Pari.  One more thing, that necklace, its still around my neck :-)

The photo is part of the group I went teaching with in Nassau and New Providence Island one summer in the early 80's.  These are people who are near and dear to me.  I am in the white shirt and mustache.