Eternal Paradise

ETERNAL PARADISE

On a night, so long ago

To where my heart, longs to go

A gathering took place

Of momentous grace

 

The smell of roses filled the air

Removing from many

All worries and care

Of loftier things

All were made aware

 

The nightingales sing

Their dulcet tones ring

A joy to all hearts

They doth bring

 

To that garden of paradise

My heart doth travel

It must suffice

 

One day it is clear

That I will draw near

To that blessed place

That I hold so dear

 

As I sit and pray

meditate each day

 my soul doth hold sway

 

in that realm that knows no time

I travel to that garden

So blessed, sublime

 

My heart soars

I contemplate

The events that night

Their portent, their weight

 

It was there that night

The first of twelve

Towards a new unity

We were all to delve

A new day hath dawned

For all to see

with growing influence

setting all free

showing mankind

how we are meant to be

and a most great unity

our destiny

-Shiidon, Azamat 166 BE, May, 2009

I sit here today, the anniversary of the Ascension of Bahá'u'lláh, and meditate on much in my life.  I have had the bounty of being at Bahjí, near Acca in Israel, twice for the commemoration of this most holy day in the Bahá'í Faith.  Though my mind and thoughts are in remembrance of those two unforgettable nights, and the events that this day commemorates, I am yet drawn to the events that brought about the proclamation of the Bahá'í Faith in the Garden of Ridvan in Baghdad.  It was here that Bahá'u'lláh proclaimed Himself publicly to be the Promised One of all ages.  He did so over a period of twelve days and it was an event of immense and yet unrealized proportions.  The brief description of those days stands out in my mind when I think about those times.  The nightingales singing, the piles of rose petals so high that people could not see others on the other side.  The joy that was felt and the grief at the same time as it marked the ending of Bahá'u'lláh in Baghdad as he was summoned and exiled yet again, this time to Constantinople.  

While this world is in turmoil and tests and difficulties surround us all on an increasing and seemingly unbearable severity, I am certain that it is these "growing pains" of mankind that are the signs of the birth in the not too distant future of the Golden Age of Mankind, promised by all the Manifestations of God.  If we contemplate on the root of the problems that we are facing much of it can be laid on the doorstep of archaic ways of thought and governance.  Materialism running unchecked has begun to show its cost to a surprised humanity.  Yet the solutions that are being suggested are pale compared to the challenges we are facing.  We must each do our part to better mankind in the ways that are within our power.  We are not, individually, capable of making much change when it comes to international, national and even to some degree local problems.  The sphere of influence that we have control over and the place where we can make an impact is our immediate surroundings, our neighborhood, friends and family.

When we focus on these areas we find that we are able to be of service and make a difference.  The dark, gloomy and impossible are swept away by the joy, love and changeable in our sphere of friends family and neighbors.  Optimism overcomes pessimism in this realm.  Multiply that for each of us and in the end we shall change the world.

Tears of Separation

TEARS of SEPARATION

My heart aches

My back brakes

At the separation

I find myself in

 

I long with each breath

With a sorrow of great depth

To have lived at a time

When to see You, the divine

 

I read again and again

Of the life You did lead

The untold suffering

The price,

 for us to head

 

You were here before

just shy of five score

You passed through this land

unifying His band

and sewed many a seed

with Your own hand

 

tears pour down my face

etching my heart

with their trace

how can I say

that I have pain

when manifold tests

upon You did rain

even the though of

which my heart doth strain

 

the world you left

is full of trouble

many a tower

now in rubble

but the hearts of those

You did reach

are growing  in number

as others they teach

 

like a medicine you dosed

 so carefully

infusing its healing

to humanity

 

I know in time

This world I will leave

But for now, Your absence

I doth bereave

 

Towards that time

I do long

Though worthy of Your presence

I may not belong

But I have faith and

Will be strong

 

My grieving is lessened

To a part

By the presence of You

Seen in every heart

And in serving others

In such a way

I am serving You

Each and every day

-Shiidon Jamál 166BE, May 2009

So yet another poem came to me this morning.  I do not control when they come or the thoughts that awaken them.  I just start following my heart and they come.  I was reading the description of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's suffering and reflecting on what had assailed Him His whole life in God Passes By.  He was imprisoned and constantly living under the threat of death until the last years of His life.  It was in 1912 that He was able to travel to America to visit the followers of His fathers faith.  He met many dignitaries and spoke to thousands of people about the verities of the Bahá'í Faith.  It is hard to believe that the centenary of His visit will arrive.

The image above is from my "moleskin" notebook that I have been using to jot down poems wherever I find the inspiration.  The left page has the end of the previous poem and the right page has the beginning of this poem.  I start and end in one sitting.  I do not usually spend days or time writing and revising.  In fact, there are very few if any revisions when I write my poems.

Together in Heart

TOGETHER IN HEART

I think of you

At morning dew

And in the eve

When I take my leave

 

You once said

No greater pleasure

Could be found

Amongst the treasures

Of Natures blessings abound

 

A book, a blanket,

 a garden, You say

Is the greatest way

To spend the day

 

I remember you

Day and night

When I go

 to my peaceful site

and while upon

my stone I sit

a well earned moment

of respite

thoughts of times

not long ago

of the great wisdom

to me you did show

 

Can I truly say

That I am alone

On any given day?

Nay

For we carry those,

Whom we love

Whether here amongst us

Or with Him above

And converse together

In our hearts

Many a topic,

Broken into parts

And one by one we talk them through

Sometimes many

And sometimes few

And often we sit side by side

Meditating in silence

In love abide

 

Though for now

We are far apart

Ti's the way we speak

Connected by

The language of the heart

 

As time races by

Year by year

Those whom we love

Grow more dear

And towards ourselves

We draw them near

 

Many a soul doth walk with me

And through mine eye

We doth see

The beauty that

surroundeth me

 

So dear friend

In a way

I bring you with me

Every day

And we both bask together

In the suns rays

-Shiidon, Jamál 166BE, May 2009

I have mentioned in a previous post about reading my poetry at a Holy Day event.  One person said how surprised he was as he did not know I wrote poetry.  He said that I had taken Mr. Moshref's poems and translated them.  I was honored that he would have said so.  Mr. Moshref is a dear and beloved member of the Bahá'í community in the Austin Cluster.  I have not spoken with him in some time and miss that.  I was truly honored that someone would even put me in the same sentence with Mr. Moshref.

It is actually Mr. Moshref that is the inspiration for this particular poem.  We have spent hours discussing poetry, the Bahá'í history and writings and other various things.  He interpreted many of my dreams and helped me understand much about myself.  He is a wise and deep man.  I recall him telling me that he has a collections of his poems and the "very first one" he said is about me.  I have never seen it nor would I be able to read it as my Persian is weak when it comes to writing and in verse I would be completely lost, so it remains a mystery to me.  When speaking together he would recall the great poets of Iran describing a blanket, a book and sitting outside enjoying life.  That came to me as I thought of him and that description while by the creek.  I pulled out my mole skin book and started writing as the wind raced through the trees and rustled the new born green leaves sounding almost like the surf at the beach.

One thing about Mr. Moshref that has always been dear to me is that he reminds me so much of the early history of the Bahá'í Faith.  It is partially that he is so knowledgeable, it is also partially that he was alive, along with my parents, at a time when Bahá'u'lláhs beloved daughter was still alive on this Earth.  Our elders are so blessed to have witnessed so much history.  TV, computers etc. that we all take for granted were not in existence in any viable form during the early years of their lives.

Speaking of the Bahá'í Faith and Iran.  I just finished grading more papers for students in Iran who are not permitted to attend any university in their own homeland.  Recent events have seen the injustices that can prevail in a land both full of rich history and again active repression.  A year ago seven members of the Bahá'í community in Iran were arrested and jailed for a varied number of ever changing charges.

Their single most reprehensible crime is to be Bahá'í.  I ask this of you.  If you have read my poems and prose, you can get the picture of at least how one Bahá'í views the world and life. However poor my writing may be or inadequate and error prone my comments can be, does it justify my imprisonment without trial?  Those dear ones in prison are not just my brothers and sisters but yours as well.  One of my students last term had a father in prison and another was late on her work because the government broke into their house and confiscated their books and computers.

We are humanity.  Injustice is rampant and we must all stand up for what is right and just.  Right now in the United States Congress are two bills condemning the actions of the Iranian government in keeping these dear friends in jail without even being able to see their lawyer.  If you live in the United States, write your congressman and senator, either way keep them in your prayers.  More information can be found on www.bahai.org

Love and Life

LOVE and LIFE

Love is defined

Over time refined

To depths not known

To the less fully grown

 

At first so new

As a fresh morning dew

Knowing at that time

That true love we did find

 

But that love so fast

Is not destined to last

Accumulating in the pile

Or our growing past

 

We mature with age

Reach a different stage

Love goes deeper, in our heart

And is more loath to part

For ‘tis not as easy, to start

 

The door to our heart

Is harder to open

With many a love

In a pile lay broken

And many a wish

 left unspoken

 

but when it comes

and come it will

our entire being doth thrill

our soul soars higher

their absence more dire

our thirst is quenched

with love we are drenched

 

complete and content

with love heaven sent

in giving of ourselves

we do not relent

the meaning of

a life well spent

 

and in time we learn

that love is more

than for whom we adore

we learn to reach out

to score upon score

and open our hearts

to more and more

 

for love goes beyond

this world so fleeting

entrusting our hearts

to each others keeping

-Shiidon, Jamál 166BE, May 2009

I sat at the creek today, yes a weekday as the summer is already upon us and the sunset is much later.  I was wanting to take a stab at a love poem.  What came out though was a poem about love.  Nothing pertaining to me as I am living a life more like Spock right now (Star Trek just opened tonight....yay).

A few days ago was a Holy Day and I was asked to share around six poems for the program.  For the first time I read my own poetry in public and it was quite daunting.  It is hard to do as I always feel inadequate when it comes to my writing.  I just write and hope that in someway it has meaning for someone.  I seem to get good responses and so I would assume that I am doing OK.  However, writing and posting on a blog is different than reading your work at an event.

On another note, I was taking Kamran to the hospital yesterday as he fell and hurt himself on his bike.  So soon after surgery was not a good thing.  He was read the riot act by the guys at the shop, me and his dear wife.  He made a comment to me that he felt blessed to be so loved by all. (He is in a lot of pain but OK).

I also spent over three and a half hours with my dear friend in Sweden who is waiting on the results of tests that more than likely will confirm liver cancer which is not good at best.  We have had such good times connecting and reconnecting after thirty years of life from when we first met.  The Internet, the tool that so many are apt to loath for good reason, has brought me together with more and distant friends than any other tool at my disposal.

In short, love is many and varied.  It is not the sole domain of families or those "in love."  It is on many levels and all encompassing.  I remember reading somewhere that 'Abdu'l-Bahá described the force that brings the atoms together is love.

My love to all of you :-)

100 Cups

100 CUPS

Sitting in the dark room

So much like a womb

Streaks of fear begin to weave

With increased dread

I want to leave

 

Feeling so alone

With desperation I groan

I look around

For a helping hand

My breath slows

As a constricting band

 

The minutes go by

Still alone, why?

Wishing in some way to die

 

A calm begins to grow

And a gleam of light doth show

Reaching out with my heart

I find others

A hope doth start

 

For alone I’m not

My fears are naught

The hearts of those so dear

Grow ever so near

Overcoming my fear

 

For within us we carry

Those so close to heart

We never part

For we are together

Speaking

The language of the heart

Knowing no bounds

Of time or place

Reaching out to each other

Through distance and space

-Shiidon, Jamál 166BE/ May, 2009

It is said in life that one must partake of 100 cups of bitter tea for every one that is sweet.

So, I was at an incredible Bahá'í Reflections Gathering when I wrote this poem.  This poem had been swirling from time to time in my mind and finally found its outlet amongst friends.  I had some recent tests.  For the first time I did not turn to those closest to me or to those trusted hearts that I turn to from time to time for advice or solace.  For some reason, I found it so numbing that I could not reach out.  I found myself in a familiar place, a dark room without light (figuratively).  I recall what my father said about his father.  He stated that regardless of him being gone for many years now, he still can hear his advice and feel his love.  I reached out with my heart.  Instead of saying "yes your right" or "I know, I know"  I just knew what was needed and how to deal with it.  It was all my friends and confidants in me and reaching out to me without me having to physically be in their presence or to be on the phone with them.

On another amazing note.  I was shopping yesterday and needed some shoes.  I went into a store I have never been in but have passed countless times.  Inside I went up the escalator through crowds that would amaze those who are familiar with Filene's Basement in Boston.  As I approached the top of the escalator I wondered what was going on.  There in front of me was a Bahá'í friend with her daughter.  I asked them what was going on and they mentioned that it was a fashion show.  It is amazing to run into someone you know.  Austin is such a small town in feeling but is the 16th largest city in the United States.  I then went to Borders to look for a book when another Bahá'í ran into me.  He and I spoke for a bit and then parted.  I was feeling pretty joyful at this time.  I then went to a computer store and just as I was entering a parking space there was a customer of whom I had been thinking about for the past week.  He showed me his new car.  He mentioned he was going to Israel and we spoke about it for a bit.  He then told me that if he gets a new IPhone he would probably give me his old one.  He left and I went shopping.  I then went to Costco knowing that for a certainty that I would run into someone.  As I was approaching the final purchase my name was called out.  I turned to see another customer.  He was so amazed as his car had broken down and the had just had it towed to our shop.  He then came back.  He was so surprised about running into me that he forgot that he needed to bring the key to the car by on Monday.  He rushed off and returned with the key to his car.  Wow.  He left a bit dazed by the coincidence.  Not I.  Somehow we are all interconnected and in some ways we but have to reach out to touch each others lives.