Unfettered Cell

In honor of the Bahá'í's imprisoned in Iran

UNFETTERED CELL

I sit within this prison cell

Full of spirit you cannot quell

For how long I sit

No one can tell

You claim a crime, I did commit

Only the truth, do you omit

Beleaguering the friends

With no respite

In Gods name

To yourself

You bring shame

My belief

In peace justice and unity

Are the reasons

You imprison me

You think I fear

You’ll take my life

Amidst your contentious strife

In place of peace, hatred is rife

In truth it matters not

For without faith

My life is naught

You’ve taken life before this day

And mine you threaten

In the same way

What you still have yet to learn

Is with sacrifice brighter

Doth the fire burn

If by chance my life you take

Twill be yet another mistake

With the blood you shed

The awareness doth spread

And ten will arise in my stead

What makes your hatred burn so deep

That makes you think life so cheap

The innocent lives you reap

Causing the angels to weep

Of your hate

I do not reciprocate

For eventually it will abate

And a better world together

We shall create

So I sit here

and bide my time

Contemplating family

And things divine

Two paths happen here

Neither one, do I fear

Either you let me go eventually

Or end my life so suddenly

My beliefs,

I will continue to share

With every breath,

I have to spare

And if you cause

My life to end

I will transcend

-Shiidon, Rahmat 166BE, July 2009

I received a copy of an email this week addressed to students and instructors and all others involved with the BIHE. It stated that if we all did not stop our participation in this University program we were assuring the hanging of the Bahá'í's in prison at this time and our own lives threatened. Now mind you, I am in Texas, and it is in some ways no different that the countless threats over the years from fanatics, however, it is at the same time the expression of people intent on harm.

As you may know from previous posts, the BIHE is mostly an online University that arose out of the need to educate Bahá'í students in Iran after they were refused the ability to attend higher education in Iran. I am an English as a Foreign language instructor. I do this at no pay or for any other form of recognition. It is for the desire to give back to those who are giving so much of their lives for their beliefs. Having said all this, I was moved to think and reflect on those beloved souls currently in prison and the thousands before them over the course of the last 100 plus years. This poem sprang to mind and in some ways is not quite the same style as some of the other poems that I have written. I write, I do not try to understand how the flow of words come to me, I put it down on paper.

Though I am not in Iran, it was an honor to have such a statement made towards me as one of the instructors. We are not political people. We are not divisive nor are we desiring the harm anyone. We are constantly targeted by those in power in Iran over the one hundred and sixty six years of this faith. I do not fear for my life, though I would be more than overjoyed for the opportunity to lay down my life for my beliefs.

You can do something about the plight of those in prison now or in the future. You can go to www.bahai.org for information on what is happening. There are resolutions before the United States Congress as well as with many countries all over the world.

Riding Tandem

This poem was written for two dear friends of mine. I met Daniel Caruthers while living in GuangZhou, China. He was staying with friends in ZhuHai and we spend quite a bit of time together. This was just under ten years ago. We have maintained our friendship over the years and he is a "mate" as they say in his native New Zealand.

I first met Jennifer Roberts when she was a baby sitter for my children. I met her again in Macau (China) ten years ago as well. We have been good friends all these years and at this time she also works for me here.

A couple of years ago they met each other on the internet and briefly asked me about each other. I watched their relationship grow and develop until it blossomed into a marriage this past Saturday. Daniel is a bike racer and will be racing in the deaf Olympics this fall in Taiwan. I wrote this poem in honor of their marriage.

RIDING TANDEM

At the parapet she stands

Surveying distant lands

With a steady gaze

The princess is found

Deep in thought

With sparkling blue eyes

Her prince she sought

Many a year

She stood and gazed

Trying to penetrate

Her future’s haze

Not knowing if that prince

Was far or near

Oh for the one

She would hold so dear

She travelled near and far

Serving one and all

Bearing many a heartache and scar

For in giving of self

There is a cost

To oneself

T’is these ups and downs

That a character is made

One of strength that

Will not fade

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Riding upon his steed

Troubles and worries

He doth not heed

Depending on self

Finding his speed

In life

From one far land to another

He rides throughout

In one place only

Doth He find a drought

He rides alone and away

Searching each and every day

For his unknown beloved

He would pray

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One day it came to pass

That they came together

This lad and lass

Forging a love

That would ever last

So many things became clear

As they grew so ever near

Losing so many a fear

What does it mean

To find your love

As if guided

From above

To begin with

You are not alone

You have a new meaning

To the word “home”

There is a person

To share your way

And who will be there for you

When you wake up

To another day

And on from there

Each and every day

Life is too short

To believe this love random

For now in this life

You are riding tandem

-Shiidon, Rahmat 166BE, July 2009