"Shadow" poem from A Simple Rebirth by Samira R. Noorali

99

Covered in blood

The greatest sinner cries

“Whom should I call upon..”

“Where shall I turn..”

Filled with regrets of the past

The sinner’s journey began

Don’t need the minarets,

The exquisite stained glasses

The grand piano

Or a sufi’s shrine

For this meeting of the souls

An Alley would suffice

No bowls of zamzam water

Or the serving of bread and wine

It brings more joy

to the heavens

to save a sinner that repenteth

than a ninety nine righteous (Luke 15:7)

inspired by hadith from Sahih Bukhari Volume 4, Book 56, Number 676.

Bangle

She is sitting in her dormitory, staring out the window. Unaware of her surroundings. Unaware of my presence. I start to call her name but hesitate to break the silence. Cool November breeze touches her hair and I notice the moon glancing at her. I decide to stand quietly by the door and join the moon in this sight. How simple and beautiful, even her sadness. She looks down at her bangles and holds one hand in the palm of other. I dream to be those bangles on her arm that flirts with her hair when she ties them. It caresses her face when she tries to wipe those tears. The tears invoke me to inquire about her grief. I sit next to her, take her hand in mine and ask, “what’s the matter?” She looks at me and speaks softly, “look, the bangle broke.”

Walking among the angels

A novice traveler begins his journey

looking for a legend

He carries with him, his hopes and dreams

and a bag full of memories

The dreams keep him awake

and the memories keep him alive

So he moves towards the mountain

where his personal legend awaits

He hums a song as he walks

and his steps follow the beats

The song that only he knows

The lyrics that reflect his soul

Music comes from the wind

and the birds join in

Trees and peaks couldn't resist

and they begin their dance

Silly traveler continues to walk

missing all the signs

He’s blind to the miracles

and the beauty that surrounds him

Passing all the fellow souls

and the angels that make way for him

Reaching for an unknown

on a search that may never end

HAITI

Photo: Tequila Minsky for The New York Times

Many bodies, lying still, scattered in this land
Many strangers in this field, but there might be a friend

Teary eyes, crying faces, digging rubble of despair

A little girl looks at you, wanting to hold your hand

On Tuesday, January 12, 2010 the 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit Haiti. It was the worst in the region in more than 200 years and left the country in a shambles. Thousands have been reported dead so far. Hospitals, media stations and relief outlets have also been effected leaving the people with limited resources to deal with this catastrophe. You can help by texting 'HAITI' to '90999' and a donation of $10 will be given automatically to the Red Cross to help with relief efforts, charged to your cell phone bill. Or you can go online to organizations like the Red Cross and Mercy Corps to make a contribution to the disaster relief efforts. More ways to help can be found here

"This is a time when we are reminded of
the common humanity that we all share"  

~President Obama

Swimming

I am swimming in the alphabets...
dodging all the fishing nets... ships and freaks and crazy jets... carrying thousand giga pets... line them up and play some sets... pump it up as loud as trumpets... piano, drums and clarinets... don’t stop till the sea-horse rests...
I am still swimming in the alphabets.

Painting SEARCH by Rodger Roundy

Christmas Ornament

I met some phenomenal people this Christmas Eve and just when I thought it could not get any better, I ran into Byronn Davis. 4 years ago, Byronn was hit by a drunk driver while he was helping a complete stranger fix his car on the side of the road. Byronn moved his friend out of the way when the drunk driver drove towards them but did not have much time to save himself. Byronn lost both his legs in that accident.

Byronn is a father of a 4 year old girl who was just 3 months at the time of the accident, and a 12 year old boy. He is also a caregiver of two more children who are currently attending college. He was a maintenance man by profession but since the accident he has chosen a different path to serve people.


Photo taken by OM on December 25, 2009 at Hyatt Regency Hotel
in Dallas Downtown during Christmas Angel Project conducted by 
SoupMobile

Byronn speaks to groups of convicted drunk drivers and advises them to do the right thing. He also works at the SoupMobile helping provide food and shelter to many homeless people in Dallas area. Emory Ross was the man behind the wheel in that accident but Byronn has nothing but prayers for him. Byronn has since forgiven Emory Ross and requested court to decrease his sentence. During the hours of conversing with Byronn, I did not sense any negativity from him. He constantly thanked God for showing him the way and making him capable of the things he does. 

Thank you Byronn for sharing your story with me!

Check out Byronn's Video Interview and Story covered by Dallas Morning News back in April of 2007

Health Care

Lil Jony climed up the whata tank to get his mama's urrings that his daddy threw up there. I tole lil Jony not to get up der, i says the urrings were spesial but not as spesial as lil  Jony. But lil Jony din lisen. He says I wanna make my mama proud and up he went climin that darn whata tank. Lil Jony doesun like warin the shoe I got em on his birfday. They slow me down mama he sayz. So lil Jony was climin up with no shoe on. He climed all the way up and saw a bird nest up there. He musta scurred the bird away cuz it flew and it scurred lil Jony too and down he fell from the top of the whatta tank. I ran to my lil Jony and saw him lien on the flo with blood ova his clofes. Some nice man of God called the 911 and they put lil Jony in an ambulance. I tried talkin to lil Jony, i sayz wake up lil Jony I tole you not to clime that darn whata tank, them urrings were not as spesial as you lil Jony. But lil Jony din say a word. They took him in the emergency room and I tole the doctor how lil Jony climed up the whata tank to get my urrings with no shoe on. I tole the doctor how I tole lil Jony not to clime up there with no shoe on but lil Jony dint lisen. He wanted to make her mama proud I says to the doctor. The doctor seem nice and he fix my Lil Jony and gave him the wheel chair to sit on. Lil Jony doesun like the wheel chair but he says he likes how fast he can go withit.

"Maa'm all I need to know is how do you plan to pay this bill?"

Oh yah, after the doctor wuz dun with lil Jony, I went up to him. He was lien in the bed and when he saw me he sayz mama look what I got for you. Lil Jony opened his hand and he had my urrings. I cried and say to him, I am proud of you lil Jony. I took those urrings to Mr. Grubbs up at the pawn store. Mr Grubbs is a grumpy ole man but he sayz it wurth enuf to make a few paymens on lil Jonys wheel chair.

09.09.09

"Nothing can go wrong today," He comforted himself on his way to pick up Object. The car door screeched when she opened it and she gave him the look tacitly suggesting him to buy a new car. He had gotten that look every time Object opened that door but it did not bother him today. Nothing really mattered because he wanted today to be just perfect. He was trying his best to disguise his nervousness by acting cool but the sweaty forehead wasn’t helping. Object had a tendency to sense his nervousness from miles away. But she was oblivious today busy applying her makeup.

"So, where are we going?" she asked. "Somewhere special" he answered with a smile but did not make the eye contact. "mm.." she sighed and started to apply her mascara. Object’s habit of putting her makeup on while he was driving had always been distracting to him. He always had this strong urge to just stop the car and watch the precision of the process. The intimate look at her beauty! Her lipstick had a propensity to make him jealous. But today he had a better control over his desires. He drove comforted by the sweet smell of Object’s musk he loved so much.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He pulled the car into an empty lot of an isolated gallery where Object had never been. To his surprise she still didn't inquire about where she was taken. "Maybe she knows" He thought for a second feeling paranoid. It was unusual for Object to go along with surprise plans without taking at least thirteen shots in the guessing game. She loved it when she guessed right and felt defeated when she couldn’t. He would rather let her know of the plans ahead of time then to put her through this misery. He had a tendency to give up easy for Object but today was different; everything was falling just the way he hoped.

"Am I dressed appropriately?" She asked. He glanced at her and his heart melted. He wanted to shower her with his adornment of her and tell her how beautiful she looked in that elegant brown dress, how her skin looked even more vibrant covered in that silk and how the shade of her hair and her eyes seemed like the pieces of jewelry picked specially to complete the whole ensemble. Instead he smiled and said, "Perfect."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Look in Object’s eyes was to die for when the lights came on. She covered her face in disbelief. Her hair and dress flew with her when she spun all around the rotunda to see what he had put together. She danced around every little piece placed carefully just to entice her. It was the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for her. While she was lost in the extravaganza of the expressions all around her, all he could think of was how close he was to the Object of his affection. The violin started just in time and he got on his knees with the humble symbol of their love in his hands.

It was the happiest dream he thought he deserved.

One More Hit

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Hit me one more time my friend ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ help me take the edge off ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~help me escape this brightness ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ these rays of light~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ are inciting me~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ they're inviting me ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ like the parasite~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ they're surrounding me~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Fool was I to fight the sun? ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ not a sufi, yet I spun ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ but I failed to escape ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ my own reflection ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~the ugly mirror ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ stared right at me ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~laughed at me ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ I tried to run ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ but it followed me~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ So my tired soul let it prevail ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~tied the boat that couldn't sail ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ like a wounded soldier ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ I lied there still ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ It took no time to conquer me ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ violating every thing ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~that mattered to me ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ in a million pieces ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ it shattered me ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ I need you now like never before ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ don't you hear me knocking your door ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ today is the day I failed my creed ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ one more hit is all I need ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Close your eyes

Beauty isn't what you have seen,
O' Silly traveler, where have you been?
Heart is where the love resides,

Close your eyes and look within.

.

.

.

Original drawning by Om with black & white charcoal. Image is digitally edited in Picassa.

Wedding Day

For my dearest friends Sameer and Rosie

Put on the Kajal with a hint of gray
Paint my hands with Mehandi today
Bindya, Chooriyan and Saari to wear
I want to look my best today

I waited for this moment night and day
My wait will finally be over today
Cliffs will bow and birds will pray
A new chapter of love will begin today

A summer breeze will gently spray
Marking the arrival of my beloved today
Barriers will drop and joys will make way
I will be one with my love today

Stars and moon have a reason to stay
All the enchanting bodies are invited today
Roses and lilies in your finest array
Come dance with me on my wedding day

R.E.C

REC Commercial - written by TriCities REC 11th grade students

Please click her for the Video
PASSWORD: REC

Ever been asked
Why you believe, what you believe?
If your society has grown from its past?
What you do on Saturday mornings?

Look Beyond
Look Within

We are
Ismailis
Day by Day
Week by Week
We have evolved
We have learned
We have benefited

For three hours
Every week
We're here
Building our success
Person by person
One
by
One

You wonder
What good is this for us?
Come find out

R
E
C

Tainted

I will let you have
the part of me
the part that isn't
any good to me

I will let you keep
the memories
hoping it will
set me free

The picture of us
for you I painted
doesn't reflect my heart
the heart that is tainted

Merry you may call it
but it would be a lie
the artist may contain
but the canvas will cry

Clog Blog

I tried tonight... but couldn't write. It's not the pen... think it's the brain. Lacking the sensation... an inspiration. I need a notion... or may be a potion. Looking around... but nothing could be found. Thoughts are shut... stuck in a rut. Desperate attempts to rhyme... which should be a crime. It sounds tame... and mostly lame. So its time to clog.. this utterly mindless blog.