Category: Poetry

Humans are endowed

With Intelligence

including animals too

What the begs the question

Is how much Wisdom

In one’s life time

Has been accrued?

Hatred War Violence

Is the cause of Racism

Discrimination Bigotry

As well as segregation

If we had used our Wisdom

We wouldn`t be

Annihilating humanity

I am not a guru

Sitting cross legged

Atop a white fluffy woolly cloud

Deep in meditation

Solving world’s problems

As how to go about?

I am just like

The rest of you

With faults weaknesses & strength

Hating no one judging no one

But minding my own business

If we use our

God given intelligence

Along with drops of Wisdom

We could  eradicate the ugliness

By solving the world’s  problems

As well as improve the lives

Of Humanity

• Farida Bam

I was raised to treat the janitor with the same respect as the CEO.

Genocides will come & go

As long as the rivers of

Hatred Racism Discrimination

Bigotry Sacrilege

Continues to flow

Let’s not be

The world’s watch dog

Clean up our own mess

Heed & practice the

Pristine Message

The legacy He left us 

Hundreds of years ago

If one cannot

Treat as well follow

The Pristine Teachings

With Respect & practice

They it was supposed to be

Then one cannot

A Zoroastrian  be.

Praying the Avesta

From cover to cover

Going to Atash Behrams

As well as Agiaries

To pray & pay homage

To the Holy Fire

On the other  hand

Stoking the fires of

Racism Discrimination

Bigotry & Segregation

Higher & Higher.

`

`This my Religion.

There is no need

For temples;

No need for

Complicated philosophy.

Our own brain

Our own heart

Is our temple

The philosophy is

Kindness…. Dalai Lama

Treating someone

With disrespect

Because of their

Ideologies colour caste

Or Creed

On the lower rung

Of the social status

May be a little

Rebuke from

Ahura Mazda is

A jolt one needs

Lastly:

Leadership is not about titles,positions or flow charts  It’s about one life influencing another

John C Maxwell.

In a nut shell: Get rid of Prejudice Ego Pride but treat each other with Respect Dignity Humility including Understanding

Choicest Happiness

Farida

“Mistakes,Failures, Insults,Frustration,Rejection…Are part of Progress and Growth. Nobody has ever achieved anything worthy without facing these.”

 

All of us has watched

The mass migration

Of innocent human beings

Fleeing war hatred violence

They are herded like cattle

Through or stopped at  the gates

As though being taken to the

Slaughter house to meet their fate!!

 

Some of us”Zoroastians” (Women)

Are suffering the same fate

When arriving at the juncture

Whether to follow or not

Follow the Faith?

 

Those who believe

In a Pure Chaste Religion

If at the gates one was

Denied entry or one’s

“Precious cargo”

Snatched  away

What would your

Options be?

Defy the law or with

Your precious cargo

Return back to your country

 

Atash Behrams & Agiaries

Can someday be rebuild

But the utter sheer destruction

Of humanity as well

The cost can never be “Refilled”.

 

Open one’s eyes wide

Observe the world

Around you

Very cozy to shut

The world out

And live in your

Cozy little cacoon

 

Choicest Happiness

Farida Bam

A life  spent making mistakes is only lot  more honourable but more useful than a life spent doing nothing——–George Bernard Shaw,

“Nobody has monopoly on Wisdom” President Barack Obama

Hatred Racism Discrimination

Bigotry as well Segregation

Is not the cause but a symptom

It’s a universal fact:

Nobody has monopoly on Wisdom

 

Society is like

Cruela de Ville”

Where every aspect

Of one’s life

Gets scrutinized

“Damn” if one did or didn’t

One doesn’t have

To conform to their will

 

Failure in success

Should not go

To the heart

But Ego in success

Should never go to the brain

 

Nobody is perfect

Neither am I

Whether one be

A prince priest

Pauper or a thief

By making mistakes

One urns over

A new leaf

Is not the cause but a symptom

It’s a universal fact:

Nobody has monopoly on Wisdom

 

One may be a

Graduate of Harvard

M.I.T or Eton

( No disrespect meant)

Or may be a winner

Of  a Nobel Prize

It doesn`t mean anything

Just to name a few

By strutting around

Like a peacock

In society is doing more

Harm than good

 

Use one’s knowledge

To bring love, unity

Peace as well harmony

Educate humanity

Serve humankind with

Humbleness  & humility.

Choicest Happiness

Farida Bamji

Sept 9^th 2018

Beliefs don’t make you a better person. Behaviour does!

Dear Dasturjis:

You believe that

That most you

Are true Zoroastrians

As well as Blue Blooded

Nobody is Pure

Or blue blooded as

We are all “contaminated”.

 

You are Dasturs of

The Zoroastrian Community

Well versed in Holy Scriptures

As well as rituals

Praying in front

Of the Holy Fire

But,all you have

Done so far

Stoked the sentiments

Of Racism Discrimination

Segregation Bigotry

Higher & higher

 

From me you

Get no respect

‘Cause to expect

Respect one

Has to one it

 

You will not receive

Special Treatment

Just because one’s priest

As well a Zoroastrian

When one’s soul

Arrives at the

Pearly Gates

Your soul

Will have wait it’s turn

Whether it will be free

Or it will burn.

 

Step down from

Your pedestal

Start making amends

Have a spine

Lead the community

Before Zoroastrianism

Meets it’s end

Choicest Happiness

 

Farida

 

 

Women are not to

Be kicked around

Or put them on

Shelf for later use

Not either to be maimed raped

Or sexually abused.

 

There are far greater

Priorities than saving

Atash Behrams or Agiaries

Why aren’t you

Adding your voices to stop

Young helpless innocent

Girls from being gang raped?

In villages towns & cities

 

Are you all mice or all men?

What about the “Learned and

The Wise”?

Can’t one not lend a

A helping hand

Speak up or join the fray

Stop these atrocities from taking place?

 

What if it were your

Wife sister your daughter?

What would you do?

Look the other way?

Or will you go

Full tilt?

Or take law into

One’s hand & wring

The rapist’s neck?

Of course

As long as it

It is not in

One’s backyard

Why does one care?

 

 

Zoroastrianism preaches

Equality Tolerance Respect

As well Humility

Treat people with respect and dignity

Regardless of colour caste or creed

Make use of the “Holy Ways”

By playing a part outside of

The  Zoroastrian  community

Instead of hiding behind one’s

“Ivory Towers”

 

Choicest Happiness

Farida

 

 

 

 

 

Once upon a time

We lived in the

Land of the Free

Where we did

Have the freedom to

Live a life without scrutiny

Without racism

Discrimination

Segregation and Bigotry

 

No one was inferior or

Superior but equal

On the same playing field

The Peacock did strut

Their beautiful feathers

Whilst beautiful birds

Of hue would sing

In full throated ease

Amidst the various

Delicious fruit trees

 

Fast forward a

Few hundred years

From where did

This bigoted ideology arose?

That women are denied

Access to our Religion

So for that matter

Any human

I would say

Use your judgement

Stop following blindly

These:

“Pied Pipers of Hameline”

 

Mahatma Gandhi spent

His entire life fighting for freedom

So that we could breathe fresh air

And live free

Just to name a few

Let’s not forget

Martin Luther king

 

Last but not

The least

Asho Zarathustra

Who sacrificed

His life with

Blood Sweat tears

Whilst spreading the message

Of Equality Respect Tolerance

For all of humanity

 

Choicest Happiness

Farida

People throughout history have taken pride in their ancestral roots, but new studies of migrations of people into Europe and elsewhere are showing that no one’s heritage is “pure”

One example of the racial purity concept is that of people so famous for touting their “racial purity” and being the “master race”— Ancient Origins

 

If one believes that one

Is of Pure Aryan race

With Zoroastrian Blood

Running through our veins

Think again!!!

 

Hundred of years ago

When our ancestors  fled Persia

How was the migration charted?

By what route they come?

What was it

By land “air” or sea?

‘Cause this is

Very puzzling to me

If only those who

Still  believe in pure blood

Take a DNA test

Research their family tree

And solve the mystery

Put the “mystery at rest.

 

Zoroastrianism hasn’t

Put us in a “straight jacket”

Given us the freedom

Of thoughts words deeds

One can soar

As high as one wants

‘Cause sky is the limit

 

My only  beef is with

People preventing

Others from practicing

Their faith

As though they

Are guardians of our faith

I hate to bust the bubble

Do not be disappointed

O! “Pure Blooded” when

One is  denied Entry

Through the “Heavenly Gates”

 

Please don’t take

Dictates from others

As to what one

Can or cannot do

As the life starts to ebb

TheFinal decision rest

 

Please don’t take

Dictates from others

As to what one

Can or cannot do

As the life starts to ebb

The onus lies

Solely with you

 

Choicest Happiness

 

Farida

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Love Thy Neighbour”

We have all

Heard this before

But unfortunately

The whole world

Is engulfed in

Hatred Violence

Revenge & war!

 

To you all

I may be barking

Up a wrong tree

According to our

Prophet Zarathushtra

He must be thinking:

“How sharper than

A serpents tooth it

Is to have a thankless child”

 

Don’t be fooled

If it becomes mandatory

For a woman to

Wear a Hijab

And cover oneself

From head to toe

Be under the control

Of your men folk

24/7/365

As for men mandatory

No longer drinking and

Long  beards to grow.

 

When one realizes the

Freedom that we

Take & took for granted

Is gone and will

Never be

replaced

Do not go on

One’s bended knees

Ask for His Grace

‘Cause one day

One will realize

That one is no

Longer “A Zoroastrian”

 

Even after learning that

Our Sacred Bulls were decimated

As well some of our religious symbols

Still doesn’t seem to affect you

May be “A Parsi Peg or two”

Will awaken you

 

 

Wake up “O Learned ones”

Do not sit on your laurels

As well  those who are

Denied from practicing

Zoroastrianism

Wake up & take

Up the cudgels

Break Free

 

Choicest Happiness

 

Farida