Saturday, October 11, 2008

Autumn leaves

Our leafy green trees have been quickly turning into autumn trees with all the glorious autumn colors.

It is once again that intriguing time of year where some trees are still green, others are a blaze of brilliant autumn reds, oranges and golds, and a few have already lost all their leaves... and the air is cooling but not too cold yet.

Windows are opened and fresh air and bird song are everywhere inside and out... but the days are growing short.

Our wall of morning glories still blooms but most of the other summer flowers have disappeared.

Seasons are significant where I live, with winter bitter cold in a dramatic way which is quite a strong contrast to how summer can be relentlessly hot and humid.

Autumn is a traditional time of harvest, a time of gathering in all that we we have nurtured all summer long, and a time of knowing that we have to prepare for winter. Autumn is a time of transition- and education...

Autumn flowers in autumn colors such as the Mums are blooming. Chrysanthemums were cultivated in China as a flowering herb as far back as the 15th century BC. All our gardens really are an encyclopedia of civilization and exchange.

Enjoying flowers I like to look for deeper meanings, for folklore and history and fascinating tidbits which help connect me to all the many other human beings who are enchanted by life and love- and gardens... for what ever reason.

When I was a little girl one of my favorite books was a small book of illustrated poems each about different flower fairy.

 Cicely Mary Barker born in 1885 brought meaning and magic to even the most humble flower.

I also enjoyed reading about the Language of Flowers "a Victorian-era means of communication in which various flowers and floral arrangements were used to send coded messages, allowing individuals to express feelings which otherwise could not be spoken. This language was most commonly communicated through Tussie-Mussies, an art which has a following today." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Language_of_flowers

Symbols explore and explain what we human beings think and feel- and symbols are easily passed around... Through out the years many beautiful books have been published exploring myths and meaning and symbols.

"Because the chrysanthemum blooms in November, it stands for the light of HOPE in dark times" The Meaning of Flowers: Myth, Language & Lore by Gretchen Scoble and Ann Field

In looking at our Mums blooming so profusely I am reminded of a lion's mane... and Palestine: The Lion's Gate is located on the East side of the Old City and it opens up directly into the Muslim Quarter. Outside the Lion's gate one has a magnificent view of the Mount of Olives and a road to the ancient city of Jericho.


I find great hope and inspiration in all the many various efforts people make to enhance and to preserve civilization and our planet earth in large and small ways. The idea of home, whatever that might really mean to you is worth preserving- as is The Golden Rule Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do Unto You .

My husband works hard, tackling every job no matter how humble by using his wits to figure out the best solution. Sometimes all you need is a piece of string to help hold things together. His ingenuity fascinates me.

In a complex modern world it is easy to get distracted and lose touch with core truths... and the basic dignity and decency of humankind. Bad news and nasty gossip and negativity often dominate the conversation, creating divisions and distractions that push aside awareness of all the good that is happening everywhere. Don't lose sight of the bigger picture: The Internet is an amazing miracle enabling the truth (and beauty) to set us free.

The lion roars... RoR

Everywhere I look I see more and more mention of Palestine- and the Palestinian refugees' very real right to return.


For every age group and every interest there are roads leading home to Palestine. From more formal symphonies to traditional folk music to Hip Hop many different types of music (and movies and art...etc) are being made for Palestine and all these many various efforts are drawing in audiences as well as Internet visitors...

The fires of autumn are not of ruin- but of renewal and warmth for we know that spring will come again

And in growing a Garden for Palestine where ever (and who ever) you might be- please pass on the word:

PALESTINE: 60 YEARS OF FORCED EXILE...TIME FOR RETURN

and be part of the mosaic of Palestine past, present and future...

FREEDOM & RETURN: A Rights Based Solution to building a just and lasting peace in the Middle East ... Not just the return (al-awda) of the refugees, but also a return to the rule of law and respect for human rights: For more than five decades Palestinian refugees and internally displaced have struggled for a solution to their plight based on UN resolutions and international law, including the right to voluntarily return to their homes and lands of origin from which they were displaced/expelled during wars in 1948 and 1967 and due to other Israeli policies of forced eviction, deportation, etc....

For Palestine inspires....
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Wednesday, October 1, 2008

...Universal Echo


Every time
you unlock any door
any where
any one
you are Al-Awda

Any time
you fit a key
into any ignition
of any vehicle

you are Al-Awda

Any time
you write a poem
(or a grocery list)
you are Al-Awda
as the ink shapes
in every language
spell out
what was
is and always will be
Al-Awda

When you read a book
When you fall in love
When you buy a ring
When you leave home
When you return
all Al-Awda

Every time
you flick a switch
turn on a light
Al-Awda

Every time
you close your eyes
and dream
Al-Awda

Every pillow you fluff
every penny you drop
every street you stroll
every garden
every step
even every stumble
All Al-Awda

And now knowing Al-Awda
know that all roads now
lead home
....to Palestine


poem & photo copyright ©2008 Anne Selden Annab

__________________________________________________

~
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Thursday, September 18, 2008

A Poem on Al Awda

Reaching in

I am not

never was

al awda

that is not to be owned
by any one

The Return can no more be caged
by one rowdy crowd

or another

than a soul can be enslaved:

Shackle my body with pain
and i can still hear a song

can dream of beauty

and be lifted away from Israel's ugly reach

The Return can not be contaminated
by fools

made toxic by hate

The Return can not be imprisoned
by "peace camps"

The Return can not be twiddled away
by fat thumbs bumbling

The return like God
- or nothingness-
is everywhere

and in everyone

every flag on earth
every heart every home

every mother's hope

The Return always was
always is
always will be

beyond the reach
of those who try to destroy it

The Return is reborn stronger
with every blink

every tear every laugh

it is in both weakness and strength gathering
and it is everywhere everywhere everywhere

that love... and kindness... can reach.


poem copyright ©2008 Anne Selden Annab


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Wednesday, September 10, 2008

September flavors - dates & books & films proving that Palestine is real- and Palestine is right!

I really wanted to write a poem about this picture of raindrops on our morning glories, the way the colors ... well never mind- I don't want to take away from its magic. Sometimes a poem takes a while to form itself- has to come naturally and feel right.

I am fascinated by words- and books... and art.

This week a new book for me arrived called "Subjective Atlas of Palestine" and I am utterly enchanted!



I saw and blogged a good review on it last year

Subjective Atlas of Palestine

but even after reading many glowing reviews about it I had no idea how much it would mean to me when I got my own copy. The book feels good to hold. Good quality paper went into its production- good quality everything really, with attention to detail as well as an eye for art.

What I like best is it is a wonderful reprieve- it is mainly pictures- well organized. Very dignified and yet very imaginative... as well as factual. "The Flowering Heritage of Palestine" is one chapter... one of many. Any mood and you'll find something to fascinate... and its all FULLY focused on Palestine!

It feels like it was thoughtfully, carefully, lovingly put together to be easily read, or simply glanced at, in fits and starts, held in one hand while the other hand lets loose an avalanche of images accompanied by that fresh ink September fragrance of a brand new book.

As that fresh ink flavour fades I think I want to press bits of herbs or rose petals... or maybe some Arabic spices... into the book on a random page just for the fun of it.

There are many books on Palestine. Some are boring- but all are welcome in my home, even if only just passing through on the way back to a friend or the used book store or our local library's book sale. Some are keepers- and destined to be a treasure in my growing library of books to always cherish... books I want to revisit through the years. Books I want to pass on down to my children as part of their heritage.

Last weekend we had a small party on our backyard terrace. We went to our local Mid East Market and stocked up on all we could, and then offered our American guests (and our youngest son) some food and flavors of the Middle East. Did you know you can even get stuffed grape leaves in a can! Our electricity keeps going out here and so I keep a stock pile of 'emergency' food. Things we can eat that can either be cooked on our grill outside or simply eaten as is. The canned stuffed grape leaves are excellent emergency food, not as good as Teta makes... but then nothing ever is! And we needed them for the party as the electricity went out early that day, staying off ALL day and so our Arabic feast had to be a bit inventive.

We had Lamb kabobs and veggie kabobs, and sliced peaches with cream for desert. Plus some really good fresh dates to nibble before, during and after... We got a HUGE box of dates, big fat juicy perfect dates and they are soooo good to eat- and fun to share. If a visitor likes them we toss two big handfuls of dates into a bag for them to take home.

When visiting my husband's family in the Middle East one pleasure is to see how much food is shared. Fresh food from people's farms. There is a sense of generosity and good flavors and thoughtfulness all rolled up into one offering, a gesture of gracious hospitality and kindness, repeated over and over again everywhere you go.

And every where you go there are such beautiful gardens... heavens had I known I'd be doing this blog "Growing Gardens for Palestine" I would have taken much better pictures to give a glimpse of all the different delicious food and the charming different homes and gardens we enjoyed... and the warm welcoming wonderful people... Well there is always next year!



Fact is there are many perfect moments I can't capture and share- such as the humming bird that flits in to feed on our red trumpet flowers. Or the doves that come to feed at the base of the goldfinch feeder... or the butterflies... or the goldfinch in flight as they all end up being blurs.

Heavens this summer has flown by fast. School has started and the trees are already changing colors ...


Summer's deep lush dripping green

dries
into gold

pocket change at first
small coins

as if a fortune might be found
if we can save this day of brink

tuck it into forever
with a gentle tug

brighten the gold
with good memories

poem copyright ©2008 Anne Selden Annab
The Fairy Garden Poems # 36

I thought maybe of tying in this chapter of "Growing Gardens for Palestine" into books and films - such as "DRIVING TO ZIGZIGLAND" (Free delicious Arabic food & a Movie IFTAR (Al-Awda San Diego)

or Annemarie Jacir's Salt of This Sea

There is quite a treasure trove of films such as those found at The Arab Film Festival : "The mission of the Arab Film Festival (AFF) is to enhance public understanding of Arab culture and to provide alternative representations of Arabs that contradict the stereotypical images frequently encountered in the American mass media. The Arab Film Festival screens films from and about the Arab World that provide realistic perspectives on Arab people, culture, art, history and politics." http://www.aff.org/

I think appreciating Arab artists & art is always a good idea! With the Internet such a festival has a huge reach as we might not be able to attend, but we can get of glimpse of the films- and maybe even be lured into exploring them even more- perhaps to then seek them out on our own to rent or own... and share: In any case, it all adds up into a growing body of evidence (some of it quite entertaining) proving to all the world that Palestine is real- and Palestine is right.

My husband, Jaffar, the computer guy/gardener/woodworker/star gazer is well educated but his real brilliance is beyond book learning: He always makes the most of what ever is there. He is very much aware of what is, and how it might easily become something more. Plus he likes to work. In his "free" time this month he has been making handmade bows. Our boys love archery and a year or two ago we had to cut down a tall Ash tree (long dramatic story that involved floods- waterfalls of cascading cold rain water rivers gushing rushing into our basement...)

Anyway- cut to the chase, My husband knows wood and he said that Ash wood would be good for making bows so he had it cut in a certain way and then he seasoned the log with time, and a few weeks ago we helped him hoist up that very heavy, very long log to his bandsaw where he cut it into quarters. Since then he has been making bows, mainly using hand tools.

He twists and braids the bow string. And will soon be making arrows with dowels and feathers he found at an archery store.

He's my cupid : )

He also has eagle eyes- and he is the one who noticed our first- and one and only Moonflower. Morning glories only bloom in the morning. The Moonflower blooms late afternoon into the evening.

It bloomed for Ramadan

Our wall of morning glories (and moon flower) have been pure pleasure for me. The birds and bees and butterflies find haven and nectar... and the chipmunk likes to play hide and seek behind the flowers.

He also like to nibble on them but he is small so he does very little damage.


The same can not be said for the greedy groundhog that gobbled up our vegetable garden. Nope- not going to blog a picture of the garden devastated. My point here is to focus on the positive- not dwell on the negative... or the ugly. Thus I won't tell you what I nicknamed the greedy garden gobbling ground hog.

There are better things to think about... dream about...

Like my Fairy Garden: Funny thing about my Fairy Garden... all the flowers want to bloom above it and around it- but not in it.

My husband carefully turns over the sea shells rimming it so their best side shows. Birds or fairies or elves or whatever tend to toss the seashells around when we're not looking, searching for little bugs or a great big ocean. I'm not really sure which.

I tiptoe out at dawn and marvel at our garden- its a good way to start the day. And then I come back inside and read my email and marvel at Palestine and all the many people (past, present and future) so dedicated and good and decent....

For Palestine inspires....
Oh and an important afterthought, as the deadline is fast approaching (Sept 15th). There is a wonderful media contest for journalists:

Celebrate the Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with us

Without journalists many human rights abuses would never be uncovered. In this 60th anniversary year of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Internews and the Every Human Has Rights Campaign would like to acknowledge the great contribution media makes in ensuring the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is upheld by societies....[more]

I am very much hoping some one somewhere remembered Palestine- and used their compassion and creativity and talent- and good will to help illustrate that

Article 13

  1. 1. Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each State.
  2. 2. Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.
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Saturday, August 16, 2008

Ibdaa 'to create something out of nothing'

My kitchen window seat is a catch all for many things. There is room to sit, or to pile various books, magazines and papers to be in easy reach. The boys often empty their pockets there. Its landscape changes by the hour depending on who is where and what we need the space for. We keep small treasures there, reminders of things we want to remember, tokens really that help frame the view of our back garden.


Its hard to catch the small creatures that come to our garden with my camera. But I keep trying anyway. One frequent skit is a squirrel that runs along the lower wall and then stops at the small bird bath to drink.

Another is the chipmunk and his mate, small delicate stripped creatures who have entertained us for years with their gentle antics

And there are the Goldfinches whose flight leaves me breathless. And many song birds who come to our flowers and our feeders and our bird baths.

Provide a safe place for small shy creatures and they will come and enchant you.

In growing our gardens here in central Pennsylvania, we have to work with the seasons and the climate and the soil and the flora and fauna that we have- and the time and energy that we can spare to work in our garden.

We also have to hope that the rabbits don't nibble away all the prettiest parts of our hillside garden.

A red sun flower

zucchini

We take a basket up now as our hands and pockets can no longer hold all the bounty from our vegetable garden.

Some days, while scanning the Internet I look at all there is on Palestine and am quite overwhelmed by the huge amount of documents detailing recent history and commentary, plus all the many artistic endeavors and projects and conferences and simply pleasant gatherings large and small.

Ironically much gets disappeared, temporarily- only to be rediscovered again and again and again....

fragment of a Palestinian poem by

Fadwa Tuqan

(The Grande dame of Palestinian letters, is considered as one of the best Arab pioneering contemporary poets. The sister of poet Ibrahim Tuqan, she was born in Nablus in 1917. http://www.sakakini.org/literature/ftuqan.htm )

To dissolve and merge with the grass,

To give life to a flower

That a child of my country will pick,

All I ask

Is to remain in the bosom of my country

As soil,

Grass,

A flower.


To give life to a flower...

There is a charming youtube video Debcha Arabiya of an inspired young girl in blue jeans in an American parking lot dancing an impromptu dance for Palestine.

To give life to a flower...

The Dabka, a traditional folk dance and a community dance, is often performed at weddings and other joyous occasions, and is sometimes referred to in full as the Al Sha'raweya Dabka. The dancing is synchronised with folkloric songs, and themes range from patriotic to traditional.

To give life to a flower...

"Ibdaa" is an Arabic word that means 'to create something out of nothing' .... and from what I can see it very much means to make the most out of what you have.

About Ibdaa

Ibdaa, which means 'to create something out of nothing' in Arabic, is a grassroots initiative of Dheisheh Refugee Camp. Its mission is to provide a safe environment for the camp's children, youth, and women to develop a range of skills, creatively express themselves, and build leadership through cultural, educational, and social activities that are not readily available in either the camp or occupied Palestine. Ibdaa strives to empower participants with the confidence and knowledge to face their difficult future, while educating the international community about Palestinian refugees.


11/19/05 IBDAA in San Diego
This event was one of the best attended with the relatively large hall filled to capacity. The performance by the IBDAA troupe from Dheisheh refugee camp was both inspiring and moving.

& recently from an old friend

Al Jazeera.Net

I am grateful for every song bird, every poem, every fledgling, every dance troupe, every picnic, every friend, every film, every family gathering, every recipe, every embroidery, every child, every memory, every positive endeavor and every note that helps shape a more beautiful and gracious world... and helps make more real a better future for us all.
for Palestine inspires....
The Garden in Nablus, Palestine

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The Day The Palestinian Poet Darwish Died


The day the Palestinian poet Darwish died
so too did the floor
of my fairy garden

to echo our loss

The day the poet Mahmoud Darwish died
when some dreamers still dreamed
that a perfect poem
might come again
to answer our need
to become our prayer
and fill our hearts with hope...

To rescue civilization
with love...
and the catch of a phrase

An interplay of perfect words
To pull all away
from the darkening abyss
of petty politics...

I had imagined
that flowers planted there
on the floor of the fairy garden
would tell every story
in time
as in now

Reveal all truth
in time
as in now
before it's too late

One small corner
where paradigms might tingle
into every bloom

Enticing poems
for me...

The day the poet Darwish died
"I come from there... and remember"
echoed everywhere

And in my garden, the greater garden
bloom and birdsong
soothed my soul:

A fledgling fledged.



Poem & Picture Copyright ©2008 Anne Selden Annab
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