Invincible

In memory of my grandfather, Nosrat Fanian aka "Daddy Nosrat" -- October 19, 1923 - August 11, 2013

The sun rose when your lips curled into a smile.

You stood proud, handsome, stylish, 

Cap on your head,

Ready for a walk,

Ready to take on the day.

You were invincible.

You were kind, patient, gentle and wise.

You had a contagious laugh,

And every now and again you would

Stick out your tongue and

Give the world a cheeky grin.

You were invincible.

You loved your grandchildren

Beyond compare.

You told me stories

About the young girl and the deer

And played Persian music

And when I was older, you

Talked to me about politics  

And imparted wise advice.

To me,

You were invincible.

You saw beauty everywhere – in life, in death,

Especially in the wife you chose,

The wife you lost, the wife you found again.

Her voice, the whisper of a nightingale,

Finally called you to your Beloved.

But all the while,

You were still invincible.

A captain with his cap,

You commanded your ship.

And when the sun set,

You set sail.

Friendship

I could feel the cold air
Crawling up my legs,
Seizing my hands,
And paralyzing the
Tear of solitude
That taunted my cheek.
My arctic heart began to slow,
As my eyes struggled to see the light
Through the darkening night.

Before I could surrender,
Before I could say goodbye,
Your smile fought its way across the raging sea
And landed in my desolate mind.
Hidden in the abyss,
Your smile grew brighter
As my soul clawed through
The weeds of isolation
And reached for the blossoming warmth.

I could see your smile now,
And I could hear your voice
Through your smiling lips,
Calling my name in their honeyed tones,
Words of encouragement
Breathing strength into my bones.
I could feel the palms of your hands,
One clasped around my own,
The other, pressed against my heart,
Pounding, beating,
Until I fell into the rhythm
And could dance in your arms once again.

Running of the Bull

You took away my reasons that reason never knew,

And left me a hollow heart suspended in time.

Stripped of all solace,

I stood soulless in an empty street,

Surrounded by the sound of doubt

That carried through the wind.

The hope that your sycophantic lips once lit

Was quickly quashed by their silence,

And absence fertilized the firewood

Left to fester in tomorrow’s dew.