Let's go the Zoo!

“Life is a zoo in a jungle.” ~ Peter De Vries

In keeping with the theme of “summer” I share these pictures of my recent visit to Emperor Valley Zoo. I can clearly remember how many times I tried in vain to convince my family to accompany me as it’s probably been more than 10 years since my last visit. Finally one good Sunday in May, my cousin and I were discussing how we planned to make the most out of the summer and I brought up the brilliant plan of going to the Zoo. As fate would have it, the following Sunday we were on our way to the Zoo…Finally!!!
Enjoy!

“I've actually gone to the zoo and had monkeys shout to me from their cages, "I'm in here when you're walking around like that?"” ~ Robin Williams


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Our Oppressed Plea

A poet's bequest,
Read and comment; my humble request,
Gratitude is what I offer to thee,
Penned by yours truly.

***

Our Oppressed Plea

Trespassers raid through our virgin Land,
In the face of terror we firmly stand,
The right to life confiscated,
Mountains of lies fabricated,
Justifying modern day genocide,
As we are made to witness daily homicide,
Another child ripped from his mother’s chest,
Our patience put to the ultimate test,
The demons spread their plague everywhere,
Life for us an ongoing nightmare,
Our blood flows more abundantly than water,
Nearby we hear the screams of our daughter,
A sound that will forever haunt,
Their actions and words sole purpose to taunt,
As everyday more of our lives fall,
This heart must withstand it all,
All that is sacred is degraded,
Our homes, Masjids and schools are all raided,
Ravaging through our chastity,
They are devoid of any pity,
Bitter tears wash our faces everyday,
Surely the murderers will have their price to pay,
Born into an atmosphere of enforced Jihad,
Our land is now a burial ground myriad,
From the very beginning oppressed,
With taking our lives they are obsessed,
Torments inflicted on us we feel,
From the palms of orphans they steal,
Snatching our lands for illegal occupation,
When will the day come for our emancipation?
Ya Rab help us defeat our enemy,
May Allah grant us an eternal victory.

Ameeen
[2007]

***

View all Get your own

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Summer Time

Summer Time

It’s summer time again…

“What is one to say about June, the time of perfect young summer, the fulfilment of the promise of the earlier months, and with as yet no sign to remind one that its fresh young beauty will ever fade.” ~Gertrude Jekyll

It is truly impossible to prevent summer from blooming into all possibilities.
A time for renewal and growth;
A time for fresh beginnings and birth;
A time for outdoor leisure and idle freedom;
A time for crowded markets and perpetual boredom…
The sun shines abundantly throughout the year in the Caribbean but certainly during the summer period its intensity and vivaciousness are at its maximum as with all parts of the world. As children eagerly look forward to the freedom of eight (8) weeks their parents’ challenge is to keep their young ones under responsible supervision. It is the time of marked influx of “tan-seeking” tourists as they flood to the streets of our bargaining centres and unto the shores of beaches.

Summer time is a culture of the Caribbean that no native can escape from. I for one welcome this time with open embrace as it signals the end to a demanding and stress-riddled academic year. To savour every moment of temporary freedom and relaxation as the days go by on its idle course. Just when the blossoming “Poui” trees begin to peak and shed its flowers you can smell the ripened, sweetly fragrant air and if you listen carefully you can hear the earth rejoicing.

“A life without love is like a year without summer.” ~Swedish Proverb

The return of travelling fairs and amusement parks accompanied with the availability of cotton candy and snow cone vendors. There comes with it an increase indulgence in all the lighter things in life; food, movies, clothes and travel. Although summer events may come with a price it usually means more family time.

Enjoy this time while it lasts because as soon as it goes, life speeds up to make up for the idle time gifted. Visit all those family members and close friends that time could not afford during the rush of the previous months. Make it a time of happiness and unity for all those you hold dear so that their expectation of future summers serves as a comfort for the more challenging days. Reverse the effect of time and experience the joys of childhood and youth in this time of summer as it cannot distinguish between the faces of age.

“Then followed that beautiful season... Summer....
Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light; and the landscape
Lay as if new created in all the freshness of childhood.”
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

If cherries are the perfect topping to any pie then it would only be befitting that I end with these magnificent pictures of the "tube".

photography by: Clark Little

***
A special 감사합니다, gahm-sah-hahm-ni-da to the reader from Tukpyolsi, Seoul

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A Muslimah's Dignity

Poetry that was expressed,
Insight addressed,
Read what was written,
Comment if befitting,
Gratitude is what I offer to thee,
Penned by yours truly.

***********

A Muslimah’s Dignity

As the night drapes the earth,
Covering and protecting all its worth,
The Hijab shrouds our sister’s body,
Her modesty the highest testimony,
Just as the pea remains in the shell,
Efforts to gain salvage from the fire of hell,
Ornaments on display loses its value,
For the rare and priceless are quite few,
Found in hidden havens far from prying eyes,
Flowers in harsh conditions wilts and dies,
The caretaker reaps fruit after hours of nurturing,
The prize a personal gift to the deserving,
Behind the curtains of her garments,
She wishes that they would stop their torments,
For under it all lies a modest woman,
She is but a living, breathing human,
On this earth a temporary guest,
Only to be respected is her request.

*************

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Beni Beni

Beni Beni

"A friend is one to whom one may pour out all the contents of one's heart, chaff and grain together, knowing that the gentlest of hands will take and sift it, keep what is worth keeping and with a breath of kindness blow the rest away."- Arabian Proverb

Life teaches not to exploit man’s weakness but to prove endurance is the highest tenant of salvation. The clock is ever ticking to its own rhythm to which we either learn to dance to, tolerate or to which we never learn its true essence and our disharmonious beat clashes with it continuously. Life is a symphony seeking perfection as it seeks to smoothen out the wrinkles even when they remain adamant.

Ya Dost beni, I seek from you enlightenment and your continuous presence. Everywhere I see shadows of hope in the constant drowning of overbearing burden and I remain thankful for your guiding light. Surround me with positivity and per chance it may befall me. I am contented to be enamoured with your essence. Let me be…

Gift me with everlasting insight so that my perception is never blurred. Let me see reason in my struggles as I make effort to escape from its clutches. Time has truly passed a much quicker beat and I await results after an enduring effort.

Welcome me back into your doors of ease and cease to test the depth of my resolve.

Ya Dost beni, from You alone I seek, for I remain the seeker and you the sought.

***

To this end it would only be befitting to include this mystical poem by the gifted Jalal-ud Din Rumi, an extract from Divani Shams, "Life and Work of Muhammad Jalal-ud Din Rumi"

O Friend! we are near you in friendship,
Wherever you set foot, we prostrate ourselves like earth.
How is it permissible, in the religion of love,
That we should see your Creation and neglect to see You?

That Friend brought me up with great care and attention;
He sewed me a garment from skin and veins.
The body is like a cloak and my heart in it like a mystic,
The world is like a monastery and He is my Guide.

Seek knowledge which unravels mysteries
Before your life comes to close
Give up that non-existence which looks like existence,
Seek that Existence which looks like non-existence!

There is a world outside Islam and Disbelief,
We are enamoured of the atmosphere therein.
The mystic lays down his head when he reaches there.
There is neither Islam nor Disbelief in this place.

Whenever I prostrate my head He is the one to whom I bow;
In six directions or outside the six, he is the one I worship.
The garden, the rose, the nightingale, music and the beauteous maiden
Are a mere excuse and He alone is the real object.

***

I share with you now a beautiful song expressing the believers plea for respite from the mercy of their Dost… God

These are the lyrics for the song:

Beni Beni - Niyaz

Lastly but certainly not in the least, I would like to give thanks to the reader from Lombardia who has been visiting my blog so religiously over the past few days.

“On ne voit bien qu'avec le cœur; l'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux.”
“Only with the heart can a person see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”
~ Antoine de Saint Exupéry [extract from “Le Petit Prince”]

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Thanks for Life

"Qul in-na Salaatiy wa nusukiy wa maHyaaya wa mamaatiy lil-laahi rab-bil ‘AAlamiyn"
Say: "Truly, my prayer and my service of sacrifice, my life and my death, are (all) for Allah, the Cherisher of the Worlds"
[Quran 6:162]

May the days that I have passed, the ones that I am currently passing and those that I am about to pass, continue to be a journey of the conscious mind ultimately for the purpose of pleasing the Creator. I make this prayer at this junction in life as I stop, stare into the distance ahead of me and look back at where I came from. As I take in the moment, I notice my surroundings and begin to be thankful for everything and everyone in my life. God bless you all, it is indeed more than the heart's wish to be blessed with the company of so many great personalities. "It eh look so bad", or as my friend would say "It don look so bad". For all small islanders, no explanation needed but to everyone else yes there is a difference and believe me you can distinguish between them!

For once I can appreciate the sound of laughter in the midst of anxiety and loss. I hear the friendly wishes of my dear ones and I know they haven't forgotten me or forsaken me. I feel the warmth of their embrace as I spend time in the company of family. I spend this day in gratitude to the Almighty and in joyous celebration of all those people in my life who've made a measurable difference.

"Listen to the Exhortation of the Dawn!
Look to this Day!
For it is Life, the very Life of Life.
In its brief course lie all the Verities and Realities of your Existence.
The Bliss of Growth,
The Glory of Action,
The Splendor of Beauty;
For Yesterday is but a Dream,
And Tomorrow is only a Vision;
But Today well lived makes Every Yesterday a Dream of Happiness,
And every Tomorrow a Vision of Hope.
Look well therefore to this Day!
Such is the Salutation of the Dawn!"
~ Kalidasa

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Sound of a Rebel

Sound of a Rebel

“(Pain) removes the veil; it plants the flag of truth within the fortress of a rebel soul”
~ C.S. Lewis (British Scholar and Novelist. 1898-1963)

I have recently been surrounded with a barrage of highly motivational expressions to the point of rebellion. I call it “get-up-and-go” stimuli and sometimes it can entail one taking a stand and making his/her voice be heard in the crowd of constant chatter that we so often remain subdued to. I must admit it is truly enjoyable to feel the vigour of expressing one’s own convictions especially when it is influenced by the perfection of a higher and universal order. Remaining silent may seem convenient and at times most appropriate but it is not in the least the final resolve to addressing a matter of communicative concern. When a person voices their opinions and beliefs, they can truly appreciate what they believe in and make importance of. If you don’t agree with that then tell me again after you’ve just defended yourself or a trend of thought if clarity and confirmation hasn’t entered your intellect. Through this process we can truly dispose of closed mindedness and ignorance as we constantly evaluate what we place emphasis on if we communicate such at times of need. Weak beliefs are shed and stronger more inherent ones; because I do believe everyone is good in their basic nature and has the potential to do good; are reinforced and built on. This is the true process of constructing a sound character.

A close friend once told me ignorance is like a caged bird. Wings were made to fly so release the constraints of your intellect and express that which is true to your heart and soul. How many times a word unsaid is one too much? Though I do agree we have many words said that were far too many. If after careful thought you are invigorated to say or express yourself then do just that and leave no room for regret or doubt. Prolonged silence is the foundation of ignorance, whereas active expression and thought is the foundation of knowledge.

“Take heart and be brave and you will amaze,
Don't live in a haze, so hit hard” ~ Dale Duro

It’s my time to let my voice be heard and to stand up for what I believe in. I do this with my right foot first, as I take a deep breath in, summon all the strength in me and open my eyes to the beginning of mi vida nuevo, inshaAllah khair. Not necessarily as in new but as in a continuation and metamorphosis into all that is refining to the ruh.

Bismillah…Viva la Voz!

Get busy and start living.

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***

Eternal Freedom

A poet's bequest,
Read and comment; my humble request,
Gratitude is what I offer to thee,
Penned by yours truly.

***

Eternal Freedom

A mask of contentment I constantly wear,
Entrusted with burden more than one can bear,
From the thresholds of my sanity,
I seek freedom from their apathy,
Unable to convict with moral equity,
Objectifying their cruel necessity,
On other’s strength and tears do they feed,
Plagued by wretched resolve and greed,
Time bears witness to the ongoing story,
As characters enact a tragic parody,
With every, tear-jerking scene they all shout,
Encore! Encore!
Same victim, same fate,
Yet my life remains to some a metaphor,
My silence screaming to be heard,
My soul desperate to be freed,
Memories etched with eternal strokes,
A portrait capturing that, which it evokes,
Immortalised by the slow effect of time,
Engendered by the resolve of this rhyme,
Preach not, the advice of patience,
Offer not, the price of endurance,
Look into the honesty of my eyes,
In it the secret to emotion lies,
The candle of affection is inevitably evanescent,
In the last hour, before the ever magnificent,
My soul shall taste true release of burden,
Where the sky and earth meet in joyful abandon,
Occupy my conscience with its emotion,
Dedicate my service to true devotion,
Written with the unheard voice of my insignificance,
I entrust upon you the reality of my existence.

[28th-February-2009]
***

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[Artistic designs by : Marco Escobedo]

My Hero: Willie the Parrot

Willie

"We can do no great things, only small things with great love." ~ Mother Teresa

A change from the constant burdening of conscious minds with the daily occurences of our time is always welcomed. One such event that I read about is where a Quaker parrot named Willie was presented with an award for his role in saving a toddler from choking to death. The little girl, Hannah was eating her breakfast under the supervision of her baby sitter Megan. It was only when Megan left the room for mere seconds that little Hannah began to choke on her breakfast. It was Megan's parrot, Willie that quickly recognised something was definitely wrong with Hannah and began to screech ‘Mama, baby’ repeatedly whilst creating a scene by flapping his wings vigorously. Megan was able to reach in time to perform the Heimlich maneuver on Hannah who was by now already turning blue! A true hero I must say and we will continue to underestimate the intellect of the "lower animals".

“We have every right to dream heroic dreams. Those who say that we're in a time when there are no heroes, they just don't know where to look."

(January 20, 1981) ~Ronald Reagan

Therefore I share this ray of sunshine with you all and hope the light spreads joy to all of you.

***

On closing I would like to leave you all with a beautiful song that I am currently listening to non-stop. Entitled "Ya Babba" the song is sung in French and North-African Berber and it is addressed to "My Father". The song is about feeling lost and detached and needing to find back one's roots...one's heritage...my father you know what I feel in my heart and you understand better than anyone else what I'm going through.

The song is sung by Idir and Wallen, in Berber and French respectively.

Enjoy!!!


Ya Babba - Idir ft. Wallen

“To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not, rich; to listen to stars and birds, babes and sages, with open heart; to study hard; to think quietly, act frankly, talk gently, await occasions, hurry never; in a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common; this is my symphony.”
~ William Henry Channing (1810-1884), American Unitarian clergyman, writer and philosopher

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[External Links: Parrot gets award for warning about choking tot]

Wishing YOU all the best

“Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

It seems that this month, my blog entries have been synonymous with family :). In keeping with the theme of the moment I dedicate this one to my dearest and closest cousin and friend...my one and only Sally :). Congratulations and I wish all the best for you and yours. May God be with you both throughout your days and keep you together always ameen. I came across a beautiful poem that I want to dedicate to you...

-----

"May you find serenity and tranquility
in a world you may not always understand.

May the pain you have known
and the conflict you have experienced
give you the strength to walk through life
facing each new situation with courage and optimism.

Always know that there are those
whose love and understanding will always be there,
even when you feel most alone.

May a kind word,
a reassuring touch,
and a warm smile
be yours every day of your life,
and may you give these gifts
as well as receive them.

May the teachings of those you admire
become part of you,
so that you may call upon them.

Remember, those whose lives you have touched
and who have touched yours
are always a part of you,
even if the encounters were less than you would have wished.
It is the content of the encounter
that is more important than its form.

May you not become too concerned with material matters,
but instead place immeasurable value
on the goodness in your heart.
Find time in each day to see beauty and love
in the world around you.

Realize that what you feel you lack in one regard
you may be more than compensated for in another.
What you feel you lack in the present
may become one of your strengths in the future.
May you see your future as one filled with promise and possibility.
Learn to view everything as a worthwhile experience.

May you find enough inner strength
to determine your own worth by yourself,
and not be dependent
on another's judgment of your accomplishments.

May you always feel loved.”

Written by: Sandra Sturtz Hauss (English Poet)

-------

As you take one of the most significant and biggest step in your life, I want you to always remember I was there before and will be there for all times. Nothing has changed only evolved into greater fulfillment for you.

I will always love you :) xox <3

“Friends are angels who lift our feet when our own wings have trouble remembering how to fly.” ~ Author Unknown

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