We the People

We invaded your land and staked a claim that
All men were created equal, and
Then stripped you of your manhood and
Raised the flag of freedom above your cage.

And then we took your children,
Sent them to school where we silenced them,
And like lines off a chalkboard
We erased their collective memories.

Like cattle we raised them and
Branded the Indian out of them, and
Quenching their spirits for God’s sake,
Our schoolhouses became slaughterhouses.

And then we herded you onto reservations,
Declared your minds lost when you resisted
And forced you into asylums,
Ignorant of our own imprisoned minds.

We gained new territory but
Lost a piece of ourselves, and
With every step forward in the Long Walk
We fell backward.

Blindly we shackled our souls in the name of freedom and 

Liberty for “all”, and
Buried our humanity in the mounds of those
We named savage.

And yet we persisted. We came with drills
And water cannons and blasted you
When you stood to protect the waters,
And soon we will have nothing to drink but your tears.

If only we could look into the waters and see
Beyond ourselves, see your reflection, that
I am you, you are me,
We are the people,

That a beating to your body severs my soul, and
When you are chained and bound, so is my spirit.
Your children forsaken are the children I have yet to birth,
And when you are kept in darkness, my future is bleak.

Each moment of pain inflicted
Sears its memory into my skin, never to be forgotten.
I cannot find my way back through the woods of despair –
Everyday, I am trespassing.

Only the beat of your drum will
Steady the rhythm of my heart,
And only when you dance finally free,
My spirit will rise,

For I am you, you are me, we are the people.
We call you “red”, but cut me open and
See the colour I bleed –
You simply wear your heart on your face.

Ode to a Narrow-Leafed Campion

The day grew long, but still,

I was constrained by the hours.

My heart danced, leaped, raced, 

Until it lost its way in the dusk and 

Sank beneath the stars.

The seasons embraced, but I was left in solitude

For Time was my only companion, and even she,

My fickle friend, was keen to depart.

As winter forced the heat to disperse,

I followed her scent to the meadow where,

Shepherd-less, I roamed,

Searching for the rarest rose.

Through the bramble I clawed,

And the thorns marked my heart red.

I could no longer see the rose I sought,

Plucked by the winds of passion –

The meadow now lay bare and desolate.

Everywhere I turned, I met an empty stare

As a tempest of loneliness set in,

So I closed my eyes and dared not open.

Inward I turned my gaze but

As the scars healed they led me to myself

And in myself I found strength.

Strength to search, to climb, to strive.

And as I traversed the peaks and valleys,

I came upon the arctic, where

With a staff of patience and resolve,

I made my way over the frost-bitten stones,

Feeling every sign beneath my soles

Incline me to bend to the snow-white gem

That lay hidden within my reach.

So gently in my palm I cradled the seed

That survived thirty-thousand years

Waiting for my heart to burgeon.

At last in the warmth of my hands

You flowered, soft and white

And in that moment I would forsake

All ease to shelter you from any plight.

A narrow-leafed campion,

Delicate and pure,

You took thousands of years to bloom

And now I know why.

Wilting Words

Every sentence haunts me like a faded rose on your lips 

That time forgot but memory refuses to forgive.

As every wilting word diffused the breath of deception 

Cloaked by the scent of calculated charm, 

I revelled in the beguiling perfume of your smile.

The shadow of your careless whispers sheltered me from the fire that bled 

In the decay of innocence, 

But when the bitter embers subdued and I sought a warmth

Constant from the sun, 

It rose and showered me in delusions. 

Paralyzed in the dampness of my own hopeless optimism 

I search for the path, 

Praying your springing steps will clear it, 

Afraid they will lead me astray.

Silence speaks loudest

Silence speaks loudest, boasting the story of independence,

Shrouding the heart in solitude.

A heart that does not open is secure, the frosted door will bite even the brave, the foolhardy who dares to enter;

A determined chisel will pierce the heart but break against its walls,

While the warm touch of patience may soften its hold but drown in sullied and melting ice.

Silence muffles the voice of a broken heart 

And bullies the downtrodden that, trying to rise from the ash of inauguration, 

Searching for redemption, 

Lays her head at the threshold and waits in solitary confinement.

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.

The Storm

The wind greeted me through the window,

Bringing tidings of the storm to come.

I had prepared myself –

I had taken precautions,

Barred all entry,

Built a wall –

But the wind’s gentle warning

Quickly turned into violent threats.

I fled to a corner,

As far from assault as I could retreat,

But the tumult followed and

Echoed through my mind.

I cried out, defenseless,

As the shrieking of the rain

Pierced my armour,

Every drop a sword, and

Every sword fashioned to the

Humming of the blacksmith

As he hammered his weapon

To perfection.

The shrieking penetrated my ears,

And the reverberations numbed my senses

Until the noise melted into every drop, and

Every drop fell silent.

Then,

As the cloud of silence settled,

And my senses revived,

I heard the mindless humming

Of the blacksmith.

I saw him now, with his eyes shut,

Forging a weapon,

Not knowing what for.

A meticulous design,

To impair was its goal—

But he never considered

Who the victim would be,

And his voice fanned the flames

As the iron ore took shape

To the melody,

Sincere in its deceiving sweetness.

The humming enveloped me

And grew once more into a torrent of noise

That beat me to the ground,

Helpless, though sheltered,

Against the unintended rage

That erupted from a latent summer’s day.

In a moment of weakness,

I had basked in the warmth of

Words dipped in honey,

Spoken from a tongue seeking refuge

From bitter solitude.

It was not long before I knew that day

Would never last,

For even summer’s longest day must surely

Come to an end,

And so I built my wall and convinced myself

I was prepared for battle,

A lie that lay

In the gap between my mind and heart,

And weakened my resolve.

Laboring in denial,

I left a crack in the wall,

Hoping my Pyramus would come to me.

But the deafening sound of reality setting in

Now replaced the soft whispers

That then tickled my ears,

And the wet rain that shattered

Through the nearest window

Made its way to dampen my heart

Once held by his lonely hands.

Every drop drove the point home,

Perforating the edges of my heart

While my mind rode into battle.

My chest gave way

And the sieve bled onto the floor—

My mind retreated,

With nothing left to defend. 

When You're Gone

What was life like before you?

I existed then,

And will exist

When you’re gone.

I’ll go back to the same,

Back to the beginning,

To the start of the game.

I’ll change the players,

I’ll change my mind,

And in a new face,

Salvation I’ll find.

Addicted

To the moment you said my name

When for hours we sat and spoke;

To the laughter in your voice

When you enjoyed your clever joke;

To the walk under the sun,

And the light beaming in your face;

To the world disappearing,

Leaving you in my personal space;

To the words you wrap around my mind,

To your arms around my waist;

To the ocean in your eyes,

To your lips, the way they taste;

To the softness of your heart,

To the strength of your touch;

To the look that fills my soul

And makes my spirit blush—

I’m addicted. 

So We Keep Thinking

It’s 2 a.m. and I’m thinking of you

Thinking of me.

When you close your eyes,

Am I what you see?

Does the early Sun wake you only

To greet the day with a brand new dream?

Do you stare blankly at the blank page,

Wishing to fill it with our warm embrace?

Does the heat rise inside you

And flutter in your chest?

Does your breath fall short

As you fall to catch it,

Praying that I’ll catch you?

Do your fingers trace the silhouette

In your mind

As you search for the words

You can’t seem to find

To call me into being?

Does the Sun set,

And take me with him,

Replacing the heat in your heart

With a bitter cold?

Do you fight for me through

The winter storm?

Do you see through frozen tears?

Do you believe you’ll persevere?

The ice begins to melt

And it’s 2 a.m.

Are you thinking of me

Thinking of you?

If You Could See What I See

Why can’t you see what I see?

That while an ocean separates us in time,

The same sea crashes against each shore

And its tide carries away our peace of mind,

So that each in the other direction we turn,

Praying that the missing piece we will find,

Searching the sky, the ocean and its floor—

But you still don’t know what you’re searching for.

Why can’t you see what I see?

That the answer is contained in a drop,

And if you would reach out your hand

I would fill your cup to the brim,

And I would wade in the shallow waters

By your side, push even deeper,

And in face of any current,

Life would never seem so grim.

Why can’t you see what I see?

That the tide will eventually roll in

And with it at long last solace,

For, knowing what I seek,

I would in an instant seize it,

While you continue to search

From hell unto the stars,

Though no fire could burn bright enough,

For what you seek will no longer be free.

Why can’t you see what I see?

That the briny air has breathed

Hardship into your bones

And the sand has leeched

Your blood,

Drawing the smile from your face

Imprisoning its laughter,
And leaving you, a shell forlorn,

Extinguishing the life in your eyes,

With only darkness to fill its void

And blind you to what I see.

Moments Gone By

It was only yesterday,

You looked at me

With tunnel vision,

Burning embers for eyes.

In the moment, so real,

Your skin against my skin,

You held me to you

With your words.

But we spoke not of tomorrow,

And the flame flickered.

The moment passed,

And tomorrow came.

You stood on the curb,

But I clung to the moment

And it carried me away.

I looked back today and saw a shadow.

All in a Day

How quickly it's fading,

The light of an unexpected reunion

That lit our faces

As we wandered the streets.

I felt your smile

As you squeezed my hand,

Our fingers intertwined,

My soul, ignited.

Lost in your arms,

I reveled in your warmth

As we meandered,

Two children, blissfully ignorant,

Until Time seduced you,

And the day slipped away,

Leaving us blind in the dark

And sober in sweet sorrow. 

Aversion

Light surrounds me as I step onto the street.

My eyes follow the trail –

Quick but cautious in pursuit –

And scintillating warmth courses

Through me before I meet its source.

My eyes are momentarily fixed,

But they can’t hold fast.

Overpowered, my vision falls victim

As my eyelids succumb –

I find myself blinded and dumb.

I stumble backward and

Trip over my tongue

While the Sun discharges its rays,

Igniting warmth fast into fire;

The flames inside grow higher,

Licking against my soul,

Beating against my battered heart.

I dare not raise my head again

For fear I will soon combust

Under the merciless rockets’ thrust.

I struggle against the explosives

That are burning inside me

And melting my core,

To cool my senses and regain my sight,

But I know the Sun will win this fight –

For even when the Sun will set,

Its light will remain hidden

In the shadows of my heart,

Burning any reason, all reason is lost,

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

Skipped a Beat

I dropped the rhythm,
I missed the beat,
I fumbled the sticks,
Succumbed to the heat.

The music continued,
But I fell behind,
The walls went blank
Inside my mind.

Lyrics, they failed me,
My lips, they were numb.
Your lips were my poison,
But you continued to strum

Even when my body froze,
Fell flat to the ground,
The melody, it soared,
Its harmony was sound.

I cried through the music,
Prayed, give ear to my plight,
Beat the sticks on my heart,
Lead me back to the light.

It vibrates through me,
I can feel it, your song,
I can feel my heart racing,
I’ll awake before long.

In the music I see you,
Through the lyrics I hear you,
And when all hope is lost,
Your voice shines through.

Familiar Spaces

I’ve been here before,

I’ve walked through that door,

Found a corner to hide,

I’ve sat there and cried.

I’ve looked in those eyes,

Tried to cut all the ties,

But, bound by your might,

It was useless to fight.

I’ve lost and I’ve lost,

My heart’s paid the cost,

Broken and bound,

My soul weighed to the ground.

With a word, you caught me,

With silence, you shot me,

And in between – life was a haze

Every time that I met your gaze.

Astray

Your eyes were stars dancing upon the moon,

Igniting my world aflame with

Their song.

Laughter leaped across your face –

Beholden to none other than the Sky above –

And melted the furrow upon my brow.

The heat of your palms

Caressed my skin,

And my hands were suddenly at home.

A vision in darkness

You started my day,

A dream to be reckoned with,

A love to replay.

I lived off your laughter,

I danced to your song,

And when the world collapsed beneath me,

I survived by your embrace –

But, alas, the Sirens’ song persevered,

A melody that silenced your own,

And soon my home was lost at sea

As gravity lured my world away –

Over the edge, I could no longer see,

Your light was extinguished,

And in darkness I stray. 

The Unknown

How often do we fear

What we do not know?

We cringe and retreat

At the rank smell of

Something new,

Rather than toil

And sweat to uncover

Its sweet perfume.

We shut our eyes

To all novelty,

And breathe in

The stale air of

Familiarity

That weighs on us,

Immobilizing our limbs

And paralyzing our minds.

As fear courses through

Your veins,

Your heart is torn between

Ease and uncertainty.

Your soul yearns to

Hearken to the Unknown,

But your body lies still

In a Peace that comes easily.

But a Greater Peace awaits

Through unchartered territory –

So trample your fear

On the trodden path.

If you cast aside the burdens

Of comfort

And reach for my hand,

I will give you my light

I will show you the way.

Moonlight, Daylight

The Sky was bright

As I walked along the quai.

I could hear the waves

Carrying the clouds away,

And I looked up to see

The clear blue expanse

Harboured the Moon above.

The Moon was always there,

Though oft invisible to eyes

Blinded by pageantry.

The Sun ablaze

Burned decadence

In our minds.

Pupils dilated,

We searched

Among its rays

For fleeting passion,

A moment of heat.

As the Sun drew away,

We followed it,

Our vision, blurred –

So that,

Even if we could see it,

The Moon looked cold,

A face, hardened,

A sign that night would fall.

The Moon was distant,

Disguised in grey,

Hushed, and

Patiently waiting –

Waiting for the Sky

To breathe,

Waiting for the Sun

To set,

Waiting for the dark

To rise.

And in that moment,

Stripped of disguise,

Returning its grey cloak

To the Sky,

The Moon would reclaim

Its place,

A harbinger of light,

Clearing our vision

In the cool of the night.