Sunday, December 18, 2011
حصل خير
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Only Time
Wednesday, September 07, 2011
Long Distance
Fear
Silence
Tuesday, September 06, 2011
Unfinished Paintings
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Slash
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Train
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
After The End
Saturday, August 06, 2011
A Thousand Eyes
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Cropped
Uncried
A Nice Smile
Him: can I ask you a question?
Her: Sure.
Him: What is the reason behind all this sadness?
Her: What sadness?
Him: That sadness you are trying hard to keep it inside.
Her: You know what's funny, you're the first one to link me with sadness.
Him: I know. I heard about your smile even before we met.
Her: And you still think that a person like me with this famous smile can have any sadness?
Him: I'm certain you do.
Her: May I ask why are you that certain?
Him: Clothes.
Her: Excuse me!
Him: You know, clothes can really change the way you look, completely.
Her: True.
Him: You can look young, old, beautiful, fat, cheerful, perfect... Practically, clothes can really make you look anything you want.
Her: Make up too, and hair style.
Him: Smart people can really look good all the time by careful selection of what to wear.
Her: Yes.
Him: People usually go for the looks, which comes from what you're wearing. But only a clothing expert will know the difference between people who are good looking and people who look good because of what they wear.
Her: And you think you're an expert in smiling, don't you?
Him: Not at all. But I'm an expert in sadness.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
What Love Does
Isn’t this what Love does?
It strips off all the joys of life
When the lover is away
But when he is near
Every breath is scented with lilies
Every place is the Garden of Eden
And every word is a the Psalms of David
For this is what Love does
When you behold your beloved
You own the universe
And when you hear his voice
Your heart surrenders to the call of love
For this is what Love does
I behold thee my Love
And the moon meets the sun in your presence
I see spring and winter in your face
I see the rivers of Babylon
And the mountains of Zagros covered in green
I see the snows of the North
And the deserts of Arabia
For this is what Love does
I hold thy hands my Love
And I feel the softness of tulips
With the velvet touch of rose petals
And the caress of running waters
For this is what Love does
I hold thee in my arms
And I feel like an exiled man
Returning to his home land
I smell the scents of narcissus
And your presence drowns me
Like the floods of the Nile
I close my eyes, yet I can see
For this is what Love does
I look in thy eyes my Love
And I see the birds of Paradise
And the dove that landed
On the shoulder of Jesus
For this is what Love does
I kiss thy lips my love
And I taste the sweetness of honey
Flavored with cinnamon and pomegranate
I feel eternal and ancient
Like the Pyramids of Egypt
And I see the whole world
Colored in Saffron
For this is what Love does
I hold thee my Love
And I own the universe
I hear thy voice my love
And my heart surrenders to the call of Love
For this is what Love does
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Friday, April 15, 2011
Six Packs
Wednesday, March 09, 2011
To All The Women of The World
With your intellect and power
With your soul, as beautiful as a flower
With your passion and creativity
With your intelligence and sensitivity
With your famous criticism
With your wonderful feminism
With your strength and dedication
With your admirable complication
With your vision that is always deep
With your ability to laugh and ability to weep
With your engulfing care and endless affection
With your amazing sense of direction
With your guiding intuition
With your revolutions and submission
A woman, a lady, a daughter, a mother
A boss, a colleague, a sister, a lover
With all the wonderful things in you
You make life beautiful to go through
Happy Women’s Day
Thursday, February 17, 2011
من دفتر الثورة
دخان يا أمي
دخان يملأ شارعنا
يخنقنا خنقا
يملؤنا حنقا
يمنعنا أن نمضي
وتغيم الرؤية يا أمي
فلا أرى غير وجهك
والعينان
أصوات تملأ شارعنا
تربكنا وتصم الآذان
فتيات تصرخ
ورجال تهتف
وصغار تبكي
وامرأة تتلو القرآن
لا أسمع شيئا يا أمي
تتلاشى أصوات الصخب
يتلاشى صوت الأذان
تجذبني قبضة يد
أعرفها
يد صديقي يونان
يقول إنهض
إنهض إنهض يا عثمان
لن تسقط فأنا معك
ومعنا عبد الرحمن
وسنمضي رغم قنابلهم
ورصاص يطلقه جبان
علينا أن نمضي
وسنمضي حتى الميدان
وهناك سنصرخ وسنهتف
وهناك يكون البركان
سينام الظالم ملء عيونه
وكأنه مَلَك الزمان
وسيصحو من نوم هادئ
ليواجه أنباء الفيضان
وسيسأل من نحن؟ وماذا نريد؟
وجئنا من أي مكان؟
وسيسمع تحاليل الخبراء
وتقارير الوزراء
وما نقلته وكالات الأنباء
سيقولون له لا تقلق
أنت في أمان
سيقولون شباب ضائع
منحل يتحرش بالنسوان
غوغاء تخرب وتدمر
وتريد هلاك الأوطان
عملاء مأجورون
خونة مارقون
ومن ورائهم الإخوان
وعناصر جاءت من كل مكان
من حزب الله الحاقد
ومن الخليج الجاحد
من الهند وباكستان
وربما من بلد آخر
يقال إسمه كزخستان
تقبض دولارا أو يورو
تأكل وجبات ساخنة
وتعرقل سير الميدان
لا تقلق أبدا
سنقضي عليهم... الآن
لن يصل إلينا الأعداء
لا تقلق نحن في أمان
فالشرطة معك
والشعب معك
ومعك الجيش والأركان
تحميك وزارات الدولة
يحميك الدستور والبرلمان
سنلقنهم درسا لن ينسوه
سيعودوا من حيث أتوا
سنحارب إرهابا زرعوه
وسنحمي رمزا أهانوه
وسيبقى الولد وأبوه
ولن تشمت فينا إيران
هيا أنهض هيا يا أخي
فلدينا موعد
سنقابل هند وإيمان
حبيبتك وحبيبتي
تنتظران الشجعان
ستفرح هند حين ترانا
وستفرح أيضا إيمان
وستحمل إيمان المصحف
وستحمل هند الصلبان
وسننسى من منا المسلم
ومن المسيحي
وستقرأ معي تسابيحي
وسأقرأ معك القرآن
هيا إنهض هيا
يا رجل يا بطل
هيا إنهض معنا وبنا
لن تسقطك رصاصة
لن تسقطك قنابل
صنعها أمريكان
تتلاشى القبضة يا أمي
يبتعد الصوت
أين يونان؟
وحتى رائحة الدخان
أتحرر من سجن الجسد
أتحرر منه إلى الأبد
ما أثقل جسم الإنسان
وهناك بعيدا يا أمي
ضوء يجذبني فأنجذب
صوت يدعوني فأستجب
أقترب وأقترب
وأرى بستان
لا تبكي أبدا يا أمي
لم أجري منهم لم أهرب
سقطت كما سقط الشجعان
حرموني أن أحيا معكِ
حرموكي مني يا أمي
ما أقسى هذا الحرمان
لا تبكي أبدا يا أمي
إدعي لمن هم في الميدان
لا تنسيهم يا أمي
فالبشر سريعي النسيان
ثورتنا بدأت يا أمي
ولدت في كانون
وستنطق في شباط
وستكبر في نيسان
ستعود بلادي كما كانت
بلد أمن وأمان
وحنانكِ أنتِ يا أمي
سيكون لبلدي وليس لي
فهي أولى بالحنان
بالله بالله لا تبكي
فأنا من قلبي فرحان
قولي لهند أن تتزوج
وأن تنجب عثمان
وتقص عليه قصتنا
قصة شهداء الطغيان
وستبقى مصر يا أمي
أحلى الأوطان
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Live from Iran/Yalda Night.
"Every day I see you is a Norooz and every night I don’t see you is the Yalda”
Iran, the land of history and civilization that enlightened the world for thousands of years. The land of ancient mythology and religions that are still surviving till this day in spite of the heavily religious government and the religious fanaticism of a large stratum of the society. A land of beauty and splendors that always keep me amazed whenever I visit this country. A land of great history that is well kept and preserved in the daily life of the people, in their names and faces, in their celebrations and culture and in their beliefs. A mighty nation with deep attachments to their roots and history in strong pride and admirable love for their land that outlived its invaders and that forced the world to respect it.
In Iran being a Muslim does not mean you have to give away your ancient Persian identity for an Arabic one. You do not have to speak Arabic to be a Muslim and you do not have to forget thousands of years of a glorious history and convince yourself that you are an Arab to be as close as possible to the prophet and his followers. The Iranians were smart enough to capture Islam from the Arabs while keeping their own Persian identity. Persian language and culture with its habits and celebrations are integral parts of the Persian identity that the Iranians insist on keeping and saving from any wave that wants to deny them their great history and civilizations for many reasons. Among the many ancient Persian festivals and celebrations, the Yalda is one of the most important.
Long ago before the creation of man, the earth was in total darkness. For thousands of years the earth was an endless mass of dead land with no life until the birth of light. On Yalda night, Mithra, the sun God was born and with his birth came light, life, goodness and strength. Plants started to grow all over the earth, living organisms started to keep the earth busy with its endless cycles of life and regeneration. The earth was now ready to receive man, the most wonderful of all creatures.
Yalda is celebrated on the longest night of the year, its specific date varies each year but usually lies between 20-22 of December, it also coincides with the last day of the ninth month of the Iranian Calendar that is called Azar. Yalda is the night of the first day of the tenth month, Dey. Nowadays Yalda night is a big gathering for family and friends, lots of foods and drinks are prepared to celebrate this very special night that symbolizes life and strength for the next year. Red is the theme of the night and it symbolizes the crimson color of dawn, the color of life and the birth of light. Red colored foods and drinks are always consumes in plenty mainly Pomegranate, Watermelon and Red Wine(usually homemade).
Nuts and fruits are also there to give strength for the next year. People gather in houses, eat and drink happily and stay awake till dawn. The poetry of Hafez Shirazy, the great Persian poet (1325-1389) is of extreme significance where after midnight, people gather in groups, read the poetry and make wishes for the next year. It is the official celebration for winter, the last season of the Iranian year that starts with spring, another great festival called Norooz, or “new day”. Yalda is of extreme significance and importance in Persian culture. The great Persian poet Saadi said "The true morning will not come, until the Yalda Night is gone".
I was very lucky to be in Iran during the Yalda night which was on Tuesday December 21st. I was invited by Maryam, a beautiful friend of mine who took me to a Yalda party in one of her friend’s house. You can easily detect that modern life, a desperately religious government and many years of endless attempts to change the Persian identity of the Iranian people did not manage to affect their love for life and their deep attachment to their roots.
Arriving at the house I was surprised to find myself surrounded by gorgeous women dressed in amazing night gowns and in perfect beauty that they are forced to cover behind long sleeved blouses and semi-veiling scarves imposed on them by laws of the Islamic republic, to which they do not have the luxury to choose or reject. Rejection is the natural reaction to strict rules that do not respect human identity and while they are forced to cover themselves in the streets, they do the exact opposite in houses and gatherings ending up in extravagant parties, enclosed in houses and surviving in a sort of underground world.
My sociophobia and fear of unknown people melted away in no time with the extreme generosity of the hosting party, I found myself talking nonstop for hours, delving into discussions about literature, art, history, religion, politics and human nature. Many people were fascinated by this Egyptian man in their party who is in love with their country and ancient history to the point of sharing with them a very intimate and special ancient celebration. I met a lot of nice people who were exceptionally interested in Egypt wishing they can get a chance to visit the amazing land of great civilization and history equal to their own. The deep fascination with Egypt and its history was running in parallel with deep detest to the Arabs and their invasion, many discussions were throwing a huge blame on the Arabic invasion of Iran that tried desperately to change their identity but they refused, kicked the Arabs away with their language and culture, kept the Islam and remained Persians. Bringing back the splendors of the ancient times and reviving their own native language.
Iranian foods with delicious taste were all over the place, pomegranates that I have never seen in my life, big, red, juicy, full of taste and very delicious. Watermelons were served in a very decorative way, nuts and fruits with all kinds of appetizers. With their appreciation of life, love for celebrations and deep appreciation of beauty, the Iranians know how to make any time I spend with them remarkably unforgettable. I couldn't help but notice the similarity between Yalda night and Christmas eve, with the family gatherings, gifts shared, special foods served and of course the red color.
It was a night to remember and a day to be added to my history of happy days and wonderful times I spent in this country that I deeply love and that does nothing but overwhelming me with loving me back.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
One, two, three
Sanity
She: no, not at all.
He: Why?
She: Trying to keep my sanity as long as possible.
He: Then don't make me your boyfriend.
She: Why not?
He: To keep your sanity.
She: And who said I want it.
He: You just did!
She: I need it only if I'm on my own, but with you I don't need it.
Thursday, November 04, 2010
From Rimbaud
Sunday, October 03, 2010
Revelation
Monday, September 06, 2010
Of The Human Heart!
Saturday, September 04, 2010
في حب مصر وعاصمتها الساحرة
تقهرين أهلك لا الغرباء
جثة تتحلل تفيض قبحا
وتحيطني بأبغض الأشياء
أمقتك مقتا لا يعرفه البشر
أكرهك كره النار للماء
وحين أرحل عنك لن أنظر خلفي
فليس ينظر خلفه الا من يريد البقاء
Monday, August 23, 2010
Stolen Painting, Stolen Life!
The only van Gogh in Cairo is stolen!!! As simple as the 6-letter-word "stolen".
Cut from its frame by a knife, under the eyes of lazy staff, inefficient security system of non-functioning alarms, switched-off cameras and an invalid minister with pathetic declarations; just another small part of a highly retarded system in one of the lousiest governemnets of one of the most corrupted regions of the world!
It's not just a great work of European art of which very little is found in Egypt, it carries a part of my life in it.
I won't vent out my anger here and curse the fact that I am still living in this country, I stopped doing this long ago. I'm seeing in this story something more than the scandalous incident.
The painting is gone but the frame is still there, the same young boy who had this unplanned, hurricane-like and life-turning encounter is gone, but his frame is still there. The path that was taken on that day is still there, and will always be there, with or without the painting. the painting was stolen, but no one can steal a life. And even if lives can be stolen, memories cannot!
Confusion (2)
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Confusion!
Monday, August 02, 2010
A Letter from A Woman in Love!
In reply to Mermaid's post:
My Love,
I also saw some white hairs in your hair few days ago and I thought the same. I only had one question on my mind; why do I love you that much, where does all this love come from? Why do I always love you more?
Yes, my love we are growing old together, growing closer, and each time I think I've reached the end of my capacity for loving you I just discover another horizon, another territory that I haven't stepped in yet, and I just fly like a butterfly attracted by your light and I vanish into your existence, and I love you more...
It seems that it will never end and I will never stop loving you. Yes, they say that it dies by time, that the passion disappears with the repeated existence and that time makes the love fades away like the early morning mist fades away with the powerful sun rays, but no, it doesn't, and I keep wondering why? An unsolved riddle that logic and previous experience stand so small against, and I love you more...
I watch you reading the newspaper, with a frown on your face and rays of concentration radiating from your eyes. I come from behind you and bury my face in your coarse hair. You turn around and look at me, telling you a piece of news with a furious face and angry tone, newspapers always make you angry and you never stop reading them! I try to participate but you don't even give me the chance, you get back to your reading and I feel stupid, but I love you more...
You get out of the shower wrapped in a towel, dripping all the way to the bedroom, I dry the drops of water wishing I can keep them with me, they have been on your body and fell on the floor, they should have fallen into my heart, into my soul, watering that mysterious tree that I don't even know where it exists, I just know it is there, and I love you more...
You leave the bathroom drowned in water, the basin is full of your hairs and the shaving foam, your clothes thrown carelessly on the floor, I clean everything wondering why is it difficult for you to allow some more water in the basin to wash away the hairs, and why you never put the clothes in the laundry basket. I pick them up and hold them close to my face inhaling that peculiar smell left by your body on them, I'm glad you didn't put them in the basket, I love your smell and I love you more...
I wake up at night and you're not beside me, I know you will be working on your laptop and I am jealous. I go to you and my sleepy face, my undone hair, my needy look and the semi transparent night dress works perfectly, I know how to drive you crazy and take you from the deepest absorption, and I love you more...
And when there is a football match you are someone else, you sit on the floor very close to the TV. You neither recognize me, your phone, the loud noise of the AC or the door bell. I keep waiting for the goal to have your squeezing hug, you're strong, you squeeze me and kiss me passionately as if I were the player who got the goal, and I love you more...
And in the supermarket, you grow impatient, and you insist on coming with me, you get angry when I pass by the same shelf many times, you keep telling me "honey it is just Yogurt, they are all the same don't believe TV ads, yogurt is just yogurt", you get mad when I spend time reading the labels, and making sure of the expiry date "I can't believe you, it's Metro, they will never sell expired products!", I love your self confidence and extreme trust in yourself and your choices, and I love you more...
We drive in the traffic, you get nervous, you're tense, you keep teaching people what to do and not to do, you try to be gentle with women and pedestrians, women's driving gets on your nerves but you hold your curses, you know I won't like that, and I love you more...
We go to this restaurant and the waiter doesn't take his eyes off me, even when you're ordering he looks at me, you get mad, you're rude to him and after he leaves you tell me in a harsh tone "Could you please not talk to him and tell me when you want something, I will order it for you, I will knock him down if he looks at you again" I smile, and I love you more...
I love you for your jealousy, for your arrogance, for your criticism and your protection, for making me feel silly and naive and for making me strong and proud, for driving me crazy with your stubbornness and your chaos, for your fights with me and the way we make it up, for your angry look that scares me and your smile that lights my world, for making fun of my cooking and admiring my plans, for the look of desire in your eyes and your naughty comments in my ears, for loving me, for being mine. And for being yourself, I love you more...
Now I know, I know that the riddle and the answer is you...
Yours
M
Thursday, July 08, 2010
The Pearls Are Just A Mile Away!
"it was someone who knew me well. Well, but not just knew me; it’s someone who truly cared! Someone who went the extra mile to make me happy, who actually gave it some thought and exerted effort to get me this gift..."
Quoted from Mermaid, my dearest friend, describing an anonymous birthday gift from me.
This is the best thing that touched me positively in months, after a considerable time of depression and feeling really down for all kinds of reasons, making one of the dearest persons to my heart, a real woman that I admire and look up to and cherish our friendship so much, making her that happy was itself a blessing :)
Happy Birthday my dearest Mermaid, the precious pearl-like tears that I made you shed mean the world to me (pearls were believed to be the tears of Mermaids in the ancient legend),and your beautiful heart that saw some happiness from my "simple" gesture deserves much more.
May we always stay that close and may I always be a source of your happiness :)