Celebrate the Uprising People of

Feb 252011
 
 February 25, 2011  Poetry

THE PEOPLE SPEAK!!

celebrate the uprising people of
Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen & Palestine

The Revolutionary Poets Brigade support the liberation
struggles
sweeping
the Middle East and celebrate the overthrow of US backed oppressors!
Join us as
we celebrate the uprisings and pledge our solidarity with the righteous resistance
movements throughout
the region in
poetry, music and song!

Friday, February 25, 7pm
ArtInternationale
963 Pacific
[between Powell & Mason]

with: Dee Allen, Mahnaz Badihian, Virginia Barrett, Lincoln Bergman, Kristine Brown, Giancarlo Campagna, Bobby Coleman, Sharon Doubiago, Tarek Eltayeb, Agneta Falk, Steven Gray, Richard Gross, Maketa Groves, Gary Hicks, Jack Hirschman, Linda King, Sarah Menefee, Sarah Page, Miguel Robles, Arthur Sheridan

Valentine / Mahnaz badihian

Feb 142011
 
 February 14, 2011  Poetry

Valentine Rose
Valentine

if I tell you, you are like a pulse of life
Floating in my breath,
and your presence is an eternal serenity.
if I tell you that your smile is
the light and luminosity of moonlit,
have I said enough?
if the cup of coffee that I place
next to breakfast table is not enough
and if our loving supper with glass of wine
and the meal we cooke together
and the basket of jasmines and tarragon
we picked from garden together
is not enough.
may be we are just like many people
who would like to measure love
with a carat of diamond and a string of pearl.
may be the words are devoid of value

A Salute to Egypt, by Mahnaz Badihian

Feb 022011
 
 February 2, 2011  Poetry

EgyptA Salute to the People of the Nile

These days, I feel as though I am holding onto the destiny of my country alongside the people of Egypt on the streets of Cairo. The sight of these scenes both worries me and fills me with happiness, evoking a range of emotions within me.

I worry that the revolution and uprising of these people might be co-opted, and I fear that if Mubarak leaves, someone else may step into his shoes and lead Egypt down a bitter path, as seen in Iran.

Yet, I am also elated that the people have gained the power to rise together, hand in hand, transcending class and ideology, all in pursuit of their rights.

The unknown feeling within me is a wondering about Egypt’s future. The lesson learned from the Iranian revolution in 1979 is that people must maintain their unity, regardless of ideology or other divisions, to prevent any single ideology from seizing control of the revolution.

Ultimately, governance should be determined by the people themselves, not by religion, the military, or any other entity. If the people do not stand together with one voice and support each other, the discordant sounds of division may be easily silenced. Despite the sacrifices and efforts of the people, they could find themselves in a situation that Iran has known all too well over the past 30 years—a place where the people’s voices are suppressed, and any form of protest leads to execution.

I have expressed these sentiments to the people of Egypt through my poem, and I dedicate this poem to the courageous people of Egypt.

 
 
 

A Salute to the People of the Nile

To the dignified people of the pyramids,

In these turbulent days, 

where the scent of blood and gunpowder lingers in the shadows,

In these times when destiny revolves around the pyramids,

above the Nile River and the sacred sky,

encompassing Cairo and Alexandria,

seeking refuge. Where protest songs take flight,

  Destiny hovers nearby,

In the hope of discovering a secure haven for the street children,

for empty stomachs,

and all those voices of freedom silenced in throats for decades.

Salute to Egypt! Which steadily and unhurriedly moves ahead,

where the doves of joy pay no heed to left or right,

up or down, and only fix their gaze on the radiant horizon,

a place where all birds soar together,

for that sip of water and a handful of seeds.

 
 

By: Mahnaz Badihian( Oba)

© 2012 Mahnaz Badihian