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

Blogging with purpose,
Mariamlelue

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.

Blogging with purpose,
Mariamlelue
***

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]
***

Blogging with purpose,
Mariamlelue

[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

Blogging with purpose,
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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...

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"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)

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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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For Mama

"The real religion of the world comes from women much more than from men - from mothers most of all, who carry the key of our souls in their bosoms." ~Oliver Wendell Holmes

This one's dedicated to "Mom's the World"

----------------------------------------------

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


As My Mother’s Tears Fall

Life’s nourishment flowed in my vein,
Each day she endures all the pain,
Her health everyday deteriorating,
As the clock of nine months demands her waiting,
Youthful figure camouflaged with internal growth,
The mother and child a test of time for both,
The time nears and a fury of pain unleashed,
One foot in the grave, her Lord she beseeched,
Two weeks earlier than her due,
Contractions tormenting her body but still too few,
The last straw is drawn as they are forced to operate,
Her body paralyzed, unconscious to her fate,
Heartbeat fading, the child is taken from her mother’s womb,
Once a place of life now quickly transforming into her own tomb,
The child apart is now an individual in her own right,
As she is striped away from her mother’s sight,
A series of complications and a miscalculation,
The mother lies in a coma as the air fills in frustration,
The Doctors act quickly to regain her health fully,
Breathing relief as she recovers gradually,
Her child born in distress is monitored carefully,
Her mother could not sustain the miracle inside her; growing too rapidly,
Upon her small body marks of complications bear testimony,
With passing time, the mother grows anxious,
She grieves and pleads to hold her first daughter so precious,
The child placed on her chest finds peace at last,
Cuddled in the warm embrace erasing the pains of the past,
The strength and purity of this Love exceeds all,
Without words their hearts understand each other’s call,
In sickness and in health did she endure,
Now her child has blossomed into a flower,
A sole bread-winner, she toils daily,
As her partner is confined to his bed permanently,
Suffering hardships upon hardships, she braves the storm,
In my eyes, her enduring character the greatest form,
As her tears fall my heart breaks silently,
To protect her from the scars reassuringly,
To comfort her as she once did; in her arms I felt,
The love of a mother the highest form of wealth,
Connected I am to her as before she approaches I feel her presence,
Her every sacrifice a reflection of her true essence,
I wish her the best from the depths of my very existence,
From Allah I seek her repentance,
Appoint an Angel over her every minute,
Walahi my love for her is infinite,
Amongst your most beloved grant her permanent abode,
Make her resting place the best ever its beauty untold,
Ya Ummi, may Allah shroud you with His wings of Rahma,
May your face be shining with pure light in the Akhirah.
Ameen

[2007]


Happy Birthday Mummy!

may Allah bless you with beauty beyond blissful imagination in this life and more certainly and abundantly in the hereafter ameen ya Rab

"Life is the fruit she longs to hand you,
Ripe on a plate.
And while you live,
Relentlessly she understands you." ~Phyllis McGinley

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Mother - Sami Yusuf

Family - "Blood is thicker than water"

“If you look deeply into the palm of your hand, you will see your parents and all generations of your ancestors. All of them are alive in this moment. Each is present in your body. You are the continuation of each of these people.”
Thich Nhat Hanh (Vietnamese Monk, Activist and Writer. b.1926)

Is it coincidence that I should begin this post on family with a quote from a famous Vietnamese monk? Touché…My beginning words were originally, “To my delight, I found out just yesterday that I have many relatives living in Vietnam”. When I re-read what I just wrote, it just seems planned and might I add a bit corny. :) Leaving bygones to be bygones, I will now concentrate on what I wanted to say and digress no further.
One thing that never ceases to amaze me is the “differences” from one culture to a next. Important to note prior to reading this would be that I am of “mixed” ethnicity and thus my cultural lineage spans a vast diaspora. Therefore one can imagine how easily and quickly I became interested in various cultures around the world. It was only yesterday my Acha (eldest aunt), uncle, cousin and his family paid us an unexpected visit. It was more than a pleasant surprise and we welcomed them with warm hugs and spoke of the usual family topics that are associated with such “get-to-togethers”.
It was however slightly challenging at first to understand their English from a heavy Asian accent, but soon all of us were laughing and conversing as if we had never parted. I guess that’s what makes us family…

“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.”
Dr. Seuss (American Writer and Cartoonist best known for his collection of children's books. 1904-1991)

It was much later in the conversation, when they were updating us on all the other family members that we were told that we have many relatives in Vietnam…and to think I had limited my paternal lineage to China. The world suddenly seemed even smaller and the urge to travel the world was again rekindled. Honestly, it didn’t interest me as much to know about the ones in Australia, Europe or Canada. What gets me “fired up” is hearing about those that still live in culturally rich societies and carry on their lives in different ways to what we know and accept as normal.

Believe me, when I say it is always a great pleasure having family over especially when they bring with them the tales of civilisations and a people foreign to me yet inherent in me. It is almost synonymous to building the pieces of a puzzle together, as I seek to discover my true origins thousands of miles away from my ancestral heritage. To add to this nostalgic dilemma, I live in a small island in a cosmopolitan society which makes the prospect of travelling the seven seas all the more desirable. It is my dream one day to go on a journey of self discovery to which I earnestly look forward to.

For on my mother’s parentage there also lies a story to uncover. Afghan blood was dipped in the water of the Ganges, and so my lineage extends further into Asia. My identity has always been a cause for attention, sometimes innocent, sometimes discerning. Growing up there were conflicts of identity in my mind not based from my home I must say but from the time I started school it all began. In different societies they always had the tendency of addressing me as a “different” race to their own likewise with my siblings. It was evident that we, my brothers and I would never belong to one set race or be accepted into one. However conflicting it initially proved to be, my way of thinking gradually changed and I now view it as something of priceless value. I appreciate every feature of my face and identity as it contributes to who I am. As I continue on my path to discovery I share with you thoughts on what family means to me. It encompasses a lifetime of experiences that I want to dive into in order to feel the true worth of the blood that runs so freely in me.

It is not difficult to see I am indeed a “family” person. I sit here writing after I came from visiting an aunt who recently came back from visiting her sister; another aunt; in New York, and then checking in on my great grandmother who is still alive, at 97 years old, mashaAllah. Family for me makes the world go round and though we may not always see eye to eye, it is only natural to be inclined to affection for them.

“Other things may change us, but we start and end with family”
Anthony Brandt

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The Song of the Heart

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

The Song of the Heart

Winds sing to the deaf a song never heard before,
Fantasy emanating through lore,
Softly enhancing the imagination,
Lifting the senses to creation,
Words flowing smoothly to the rhythm of the heart,
Weaving a fanciful matrix of compounded art,
A joy yet to be pronounced,
A feeling yet to be announced,
A beauty yet to be recognised,
A privilege yet to be rejoiced,
A body sensing its soul,
Once separated senses its whole,
Fragrance melting with the voice of the nightingale,
Continuing to satisfy, never will it fail,
Giving without expectation,
Birth without destruction,
Beauty without adulteration,
Silence without provocation,
Bounty without starvation,
Voices join in chorus yet there is only silence,
A silence that is never penance,
In every hour of life,
In the struggle through strife,
Everlasting contentment envelops entirely,
Fears cast aside completely,
The bride wilfully accepts the proposal,
A beginning to propagate renewal,
As the song continues to revive the lost,
Immortal beauty will never exhaust.

07-March-2008

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Inner Reflections

Inner Reflections

“We are what we think.
All that we are, arises with our thoughts.
With our thoughts we make our world.” ~ Buddha

To voice that which words can never truly express is challenging indeed. However, I am about to undertake this endeavour, simply because these feelings exist. Thus here begins an attempt to voice my inner reflections…

Nights have besieged days as the sun no longer brings with it warmth or renewal of will but just the inevitable passage of time. A passage indeed not riddled with fantasy or hope but one to be endured with a patient heart...yearning; the air is stifling. Closing in are the perimeters as the limits manifest themselves more distinctly. Not for the faint of heart I surmise as I can feel my chest tightening; a burden too deep to heal. Now upon the doors of hope I await. I knock, there is no answer and in the interim between the passing shifts of anxiety I sincerely hope, that hope shall finally answer and allow my entry into its fortified castle.
A feeling so invasive it transcends all emotion, every living fibre of my being, rapidly infecting…irreversibly infecting. Life carries on, in its constant winding of undertaking tasks at hand or those that seem the most demanding of attention. In the existential routine of day to day, preoccupation camouflages the obvious. Its ability to intoxicate; focussing one’s energy on frivolity as there comes with it no heavy price that demands payment from the intellect. A battle of the conscience seemingly never ends but if willed it can become as passive as breathing or dreaming… a superficial talent to disguise the depth of logic and reason.
I begin to feel light-headed in the frenzy to inhale nourishment of the mind; still there is no peace to find. An outward artist masks the inner slave, and no one is the wiser. I breathe in deeper and for longer periods yet my heart remains deprived and my chest is tightening all the more. As I listen closely I can hear the beast at work; constantly gnawing, nibbling, clawing it’s way deeper into the thresholds of my sanity. With an abated breath I have spent these days that no longer seem recent but now gradually transforming into lifestyle. When will I breathe again? A sports addict is held captive to the emotion of the last minutes of the game in dying support for their team of choice, right down to the final whistle; time goes on minute after minute in which I spend in similar deliberation.
I seek comfort in all its forms not due to materialistic need but due to spiritual demand. In the smile of an innocent without question and expectance it is simply given yet it becomes the centre of my universe; the revolution of my world. I feed hungrily and unsparingly on anything deemed positive or made out to be so in my clairvoyant eyes. Though this may seem a mental delirium that may pass with the effect of time I cannot agree to such as it would suggest I am in a state of illusion to which is the opposite of my reality; indeed it is because I see and accept things for what they truly are that has caused me all this mental endowment, that has come with its price of restlessness. It is this morbid sense of reality that plagues my sense of being. A tragedy of fates it seems that I may continue to be consumed with disenchantment and the veil of sight is forever lifted.
Everyday, institutions regulate new sets of laws and derivatives that are flawed only because they are swayed by the sensations of man’s imperfection of conscience. I cannot extract any freedom from an enslaved intellect but I will engage in discourse to exact this freedom. For on my own I attest my faults are too apparent and my intellect too limited to conjure a definite resolve. I am but a slave to emotion that is abundantly overwhelming and pours over into my existence. If sensation conceives perception I cannot argue that my perceptions are any different but in isolation it is not for my mental capacity is seldom unused. I seek an agreeable end to this mental suffering and a continuation of inward growth and spiritual freedom. The epitome of my turmoil still gnaws away. Distinguishing need from want is natural to this disposition and as much as it wrecks havoc on inward solace, it reveals that which feeds my intellectual freedom and personal contentment; therein lies my 'chateau des fleurs'. Signed here by yours truly and faithfully, my conscience…



“He that will not reason is a bigot; he that cannot reason is a fool; he that dares not reason is a slave” ~ William Drummond

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Beauty Unseen

"Beauty of whatever kind, in its supreme development, invariably excites the sensitive soul to tears." ~ Edgar Allen Poe~

The beauty that is seldom seen often makes one oblivious to its existence. To ensure reality does not morph into disbelief we should keep reminding ourselves of all unseen beauty. I would like to focus on one such beauty that is currently being plundered and confiscated. It is sad indeed that we can only appreciate such beauty in lifeless pictures, for many of the scenes that you will see herein are only a memory of what once was. Nevertheless, I thought it valuable to share this beauty with you. What beauty am I speaking of? It is the sacred beauty of Palestine...

"Keep your faith in all beautiful things; in the sun when it is hidden, in the Spring when it is gone." ~Roy R. Gilson ~

~*~Beauty Unseen~*~




































~*~

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"Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart." ~ Kahlil Gibran~

"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart." ~Hellen Keller ~

"Let the beauty we love be what we do." ~Rumi ~

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Shadia Mansour - Tribute to Mahmoud Darwish