Return To Innocence (Poem) ... By Jafar Alam

I offer you light

In this land
Love carries weight

And may you taste the sweetness of all your dreams

You are the world
Listening to itself awake

Live recklessly in love
With the unknown of your life

Relax, Smile, Breath, Expand, Unwind, Love, Live and Prosper

The past and the future are only in our imagination
The present moment is the only one that never ends

And I'm tryina speak the unspoken word

Show me the revolution in your love
The riot in your smile

Show me a heart

Live and dwell in the laughter of your living

Queens are for Kings

Honesty
Is still in style

Show love
Grow love

What is the man
Without the woman ???

We are the children of children
So God bless the child that has its own


She walked by you

Your eyes whistled open

She was
The BOMB!!!

She forgot her heat
And you fell in love

You smile
Blooming

You think of her
Like a waking dream

She holds your hand
And your spine melts
In the sand dunes of her palm

And experience forms the learning

There is learning and unlearning to do

This is a world, where beauty absurdly dies

Love
Love
Love, lest you become hopeless

Pray, lest you become restless

Talk
Without words

Gaze into each others eyes
That is the original art of storytelling

Be a wind on the ocean

Be the horizons mouth
Freeing a sunset into her eyes

A smile
Sounds different

Fill an empty house with wishes

Listen to the silence
It has more to say than you think

Search for God
And there you will find Him

Write poems to her rhythm

Beauty is a transforming element
Of the mind

So look at her again
And tell her

That the moon
On its fullest night
Aint got nothing on her glow



ON A SIDE NOTE: Dear random person, life is waiting for you to step into your greatness



This is the beginning of forever

The first time you knew she loved you

Life lives
And death dies

Give thanks
For every moment
Every second
Every person
Every breath
Every fault
Every chance
Every laugh
Every sigh
And
Every mercy


You can never find light
While analyzing darkness

You'll never find magnificence
By analyzing your faults

She
Is the fragrance of laughter and new love

All the joy in our earthly lives
Is but a glimpse to what awaits

You
Are relentless magic my friend

Remember when you first met her
She was giving birth
To a beautiful smile

I think happiness looks good on you

She thinks so too

As she
Watches you catch her heart

Making you feel alive
Is the best mistake
She ever made

She will blow wishes with your fallen eye lashes

She will take your breath away, just by breathing

She will silence you, just by being

And remind you that it takes courage
To interrogate yourself

Forgive
Your yester-years

The beginning of your tomorrow
Is today

The heart has many languages
Learn

Every generation
Is the lost generation

Until we find ourselves
We are always searching

With your spirits strong and brave
Why don't you repaint the skies

And cherish each other
Like an un-ending gift from God

You have forever
To re-discover each other

Search for truth
Between breaths

Make her feel as special
As she makes you feel

And try to make smiles
Seek her for their permanent home

Tell her she's beautiful because she's from God

Tell her that she proves
Women can clap thunder in glass jars
And name it holy

Tell her that you love to love to love

Tell her that you're on cloud 8
Looking for an upgrade

Tell her that you're a slave to her love
But you're still broke as a joke
Cause minimum wage replaced slavery


At every step
A new love story is born

In this moment
Exists the story of your 2 hearts

In a world where sorrows wear faces of happiness

Promise her
That until "Never" comes
You're loving her forever

Embrace humility
Admit to when you're wrong
And don't let pride keep the words
"I'm sorry"
From your lips

Look at her
And dream with your eyes open

Look at her
And pray the horizon glows on the crevice of your first childs smile

Knowing that one of the best things a man can do
For his children
Is love their mother

Look into her eyes
See your grandchildren sitting around her skirt
Asking grandma to tell them a story

Look at her and tell her
That if you knew how to translate your heart beating in her presence
You'd speak a language that the two of you would never return from


Sometimes you are the splendor of another awakening in yourself
And other times
You are the wind sleeping on the shore of your mothers heart


Each time free



Come back
To the root of the root
Of yourself

Come back to that time
That day
That hour
That minute
That second
That moment

Before we learned to hurt
And cheat
And steal
And lie

Come back

And return

To innocence ©

Yeeeeeup ...

Rest In Peace ...

Abstract Love ...

Rumi ...

Why are you so afraid of silence ???
Silence is the root of everything ...
If you spiral into its void ...
A hundred voices will thunder messages you long to hear ...

Song of Solomon (Chapter 13) ... Toni Morrison ...

You think because he doesn’t love you that you are worthless ...
You think that because he doesn’t want you anymore that he is right ...

That his judgement and opinion of you are correct ...
If he throws you out, then you are garbage ...
You think he belongs to you because you want to belong to him ...

Don’t ...

It’s a bad word, "belong" ...

Especially when you put it with somebody you love ...
Love shouldn’t be like that ...

Did you ever see the way the clouds love a mountain ???
They circle all around it ...
Sometimes you can’t even see the mountain for the clouds ...

But you know what ???
You go up top and what do you see ???

His head ...
The clouds never cover the head ...

His head pokes through, because the clouds let him ...
They don’t wrap him up ...
They let him keep his head up high, free, with nothing to hide him or bind him ...

You can’t own a human being ...

You can’t lose what you don’t own ...

Suppose you did own him ...
Could you really love somebody who was absolutely nobody without you?

You really want somebody like that ???

Somebody who falls apart when you walk out the door ???

You don’t, do you ???
And neither does he ...

You’re turning over your whole life to him ...

Your whole life, girl ...

And if it means so little to you that you can just give it away, hand it to him, then why should it mean any more to him ???

He can’t value you more than you value yourself ...

Malcolm X ...

And for the first time in my 39 years on this earth

I stood before the Creator of all

And felt like a complete human being

Bob Marley (Feb 6, 1945 - May 11, 1981)

Only once in your life, I truly believe, you find someone who can completely turn your world around. You tell them things that you’ve never shared with another soul and they absorb everything you say and actually want to hear more. You share hopes for the future, dreams that will never come true, goals that were never achieved and the many disappointments life has thrown at you. When something wonderful happens, you can’t wait to tell them about it, knowing they will share in your excitement. They are not embarrassed to cry with you when you are hurting or laugh with you when you make a fool of yourself. Never do they hurt your feelings or make you feel like you are not good enough, but rather they build you up and show you the things about yourself that make you special and even beautiful. There is never any pressure, jealousy or competition but only a quiet calmness when they are around. You can be yourself and not worry about what they will think of you because they love you for who you are. The things that seem insignificant to most people such as a note, song or walk become invaluable treasures kept safe in your heart to cherish forever. Memories of your childhood come back and are so clear and vivid it’s like being young again. Colours seem brighter and more brilliant. Laughter seems part of daily life where before it was infrequent or didn’t exist at all. A phone call or two during the day helps to get you through a long day’s work and always brings a smile to your face. In their presence, there’s no need for continuous conversation, but you find you’re quite content in just having them nearby. Things that never interested you before become fascinating because you know they are important to this person who is so special to you. You think of this person on every occasion and in everything you do. Simple things bring them to mind like a pale blue sky, gentle wind or even a storm cloud on the horizon. You open your heart knowing that there’s a chance it may be broken one day and in opening your heart, you experience a love and joy that you never dreamed possible. You find that being vulnerable is the only way to allow your heart to feel true pleasure that’s so real it scares you. You find strength in knowing you have a true friend and possibly a soul mate who will remain loyal to the end. Life seems completely different, exciting and worthwhile. Your only hope and security is in knowing that they are a part of your life ...

RUMI ...

We come spinning out of nothingness, scattering stars like dust

ibn Hazm on beauty ...

‎Gracefulness consists of delicate features
Supple movements
Graceful gestures
A soul in harmony with the form which fate has given it
Even where this is no visible beauty

Saul Williams ...

The triumph of love is in the victory ...

The triumph of fear is in defeat ...

The triumph of will is over mystery ...

The triumph of heart is in the beat ...

Rumi ...

I want a heart which is split
Part by part
By the pain of separation from God
So that I might explain my longings and desires to it ...

Love this poem ...

Anais Nin ...

I love your silences, they are like mine

You are the only being before whom

I am not distressed by my own silences

MJ ...

In a world filled with hate, we must still dare to hope ...

In a world filled with anger, we must still dare to comfort ...

In a world filled with despair, we must still dare to dream ...

And in a world filled with distrust, we must still dare to believe ...

(Michael Jackson, address at Oxford University 2001)

Without courage you can't practice any other virtue consistently - (Maya Angelou)

Beautiful Video ...

Tryo ...

You cannot even begin to imagine the great power that you are ...

History is YOU ...

It is YOU that creates history ...

Tu n'imagines pas la puissance que tu es ...

L'histoire c'est toi ...

L'histoire c'est toi qui la fait ...

Sometimes your nearness takes my breath away ...

And all the things I want to say can find no voice ...

Then, in silence, I can only hope my eyes will speak my heart ...

(Robert Sexton)

WIND ...

Ghassan Kanafani ...

I write well because I believe in a cause, in principles ... The day I leave these principles, my stories will become empty ... If I were to leave behind my principles, you yourself would not respect me ...

Michael Eric Dyson is a G !!! ...

My Strength Lies ... By Wangechi Mutu ...

Bruce Lee ...

Bruce Lee ...

Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God ...

No moment is ever eternity...

But it has its right to weep ...

Mussy Love ...

Interesting Read ...

Interesting interview with the daughter of Alice Walker (author of The Color Purple)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1021293/How-mothers-fanatical-feminist-views-tore-apart-daughter-The-Color-Purple-author.html

Beautiful ...

APRICOT — A Short Film by Ben Briand from Moonwalk Films on Vimeo.

Thas Wussup ...

Suheir Hammad with a copy of my book

Almond Eyes Hears The Dove's Cries ...

She Had Never Seen The Ocean ... By Jafar Alam

This girl once told me
She had never seen the ocean

Has never smelled the salt
That wakes her inside

Never heard the sound of waves echoing
From the inside of her body


She had never seen the ocean ...


I thought to myself ...

Where does she let her memories sleep ?

If she drowns
Who would come and find her ? ©

Call her moonchild, dancing in the shallows of a river ...

Waiting for a smile from a sun child ...

(King Crimson)

Saul Williams ...

If a killer is capable of "planning ahead" ...
Imagine the plans of the lover ...

Lorraine Hansberry ...

There is always something left to love ...
And if you ain't learned that ...

You ain't learned nothing ...

Hafiz ...

I wish I could show you, when you are lonely or in darkness ...
The astonishing light of your own being ...

Audre Lorde ...

Looking inward and outward at once ...
Before and after ...
Seeking a now that can breed futures ...
Like bread in our children's mouths ...
So their dreams will not reflect the death of ours ...

one of my favourite drawings ...

My book was presented to Hamza Yusuf at the 2010 RIS Knowledge Retreat ...

Wish I could've been there ...

Look at the sky: That is for you ...

Look at each person's face as you pass on the street: Those faces are for you ...

And the street itself, and the ground under the street, and the ball of fire underneath the ground: All these things are for you ...

They are as much for you as they are for other people ...

Remember this when you wake up in the morning and think you have nothing





- (Miranda July)

What assumptions do you make about people based solely on gender ???

LOL ...

Ali's Life Recipe ...

My nerdy-mysticism interest ...

The Lost Joy ... By Olive Schreiner

All day, where the sunlight played on the sea shore, life sat ...

All day, the soft wind played with her hair, and the young, young face looked out across the water ...

She was waiting ...

She was waiting, but she could not tell for what ...

Love This ...

Interesting Australian Ad ...

A Litany For Survival ... By Audre Lorde (The Black Unicorn)

For those of us who live at the shoreline
Standing upon the constant edges of decision

Crucial and alone

For those of us who cannot indulge
the passing dreams of choice

Who love in doorways coming and going
In the hours between dawns

Looking inward and outward
At once before and after
Seeking a now that can breed
Futures

Like bread in our children's mouths
So their dreams will not reflect
The death of ours

For those of us
Who were imprinted with fear

Like a faint line in the center of our foreheads
Learning to be afraid with our mother's milk

For by this weapon
This illusion of some safety to be found
The heavy-footed hoped to silence us

For all of us
This instant and this triumph

We were never meant to survive

And when the sun rises we are afraid
It might not remain

When the sun sets we are afraid
It might not rise in the morning

When our stomachs are full we are afraid
Of indigestion

When our stomachs are empty we are afraid
We may never eat again

When we are loved we are afraid
Love will vanish

When we are alone we are afraid
Love will never return

And when we speak we are afraid
Our words will not be heard
Nor welcomed

But when we are silent
We are still afraid

So it is better to speak
Remembering
We were never meant to survive

Come With Me ... By Nneka

Full Video ...

Dope MC's ...

Sometimes being a friend means mastering the art of timing ... There is a time for silence ... A time to let go and allow people to hurl themselves into their own destiny ... And a time to prepare to pick up the pieces when it's all over ...


- (Octavia Butler)

Everybody's born with some different thing at the core of their existence ... And that thing, whatever it is, becomes like a heat source that runs each person from the inside ... I have one too, of course ... Like everybody else ... But sometimes it gets out of hand ... It swells or shrinks inside me, and it shakes me up ... What I'd really like to do is find a way to communicate that feeling to another person ...


- (Haruki Murakami)

It is one of the blessings of this world that few people see visions and dream dreams ...

- (Zora Neale Hurston)

Your secret from Jean-Sebastien Monzani on Vimeo.

Taken ... By Jafar Alam

Sometimes we give ourselves ...

Only to be taken (c)

Beautiful Poem ...

Ya Basta ... By Jafar Alam

Ya bani Adam (O Children of Adam)
Ya bani Adam (O Children of Adam)

Ya basta ...
Ya basta ...

O Children of Eve
O Children of Eve

Basta ya ...
Basta ya ...

Enough is enough (c)

Adrians Kiss ... By Jafar Alam

Adrian was only 6 years old
When his mothers heart stopped beating

He cried
Shook her
And screamed her name

His mouth was full of
Heartbreaking words

When nothing was able
To revive his mom

He kissed her forehead

Later, when the nurse cleaned her body

Her forehead had a small
Wet circle

She washed her face
Carefully around

Adrians kiss (c)

They Have Never Met ... By Jafar Alam

I know of a boy who has no bride
I know of a girl who has no groom

They open their eyes to the same sun
And shut their eyes to the same moon

They live under the same sky
Where lonely days, pass them by

His mind wakes and sleeps
Her heart aches and weeps

They have never met

Each other (c)

How Strange ... By Jafar Alam

How strange are those
Who fear death

And yet they still

Long for sleep (c)

How Is It ... By Jafar Alam

You are a mountain of sorrows
But my heart's as calm as a river

If I'm different from you

How is it that you move me so deeply ? (c)

True Story ...

An 8 year old came into my store today and said somethin like:

"No one can touch the sky ... You can touch air, but not the sky" ...

I was like "WORD" ...

People wish to be poets more than they wish to write poetry, and that's a mistake ...
One should wish to celebrate more than one wishes to be celebrated ...


- (Lucille Clifton)

sick-a-tating ...

He folded his fear into a perfect rose ...
He held it out in the palm of his hand ...
She took it from him and put it in her hair ...

(Arundhati Roy)