The Ballad of Tiananmen Square

Night in the city is shattered by the snarl of tanks;

Stone flags quake and steel tracks grate as they advance

On children sleeping in the Square in helpless ranks,

Where freedom's upstart banners deck a peaceful camp.


The army's iron dragon thunders like a hungry beast

And tramples with a growl in some frenzied rush to feast

The wide-eyed young of its selfsame race

And smites in heedless rage their upturned face.


A nation's sons and daughters in their tents are crushed

Beneath a ruler's iron heel who in his lust

To save his waning power heeds not the crimson gush

Of those who cry: "Kill your oppressor, friends, not us!"


In their wake the soldiers left kids mashed to bloody pulp,

As if in sacrifice on the altar of their hope.

Youth's crime? Just songs that did some daring dream invoke

Of all their kindred freed at last from a tyrant's yoke.


Morning laid their corpses under a weeping sky

While the newsrooms of the world still echoed with their cries;

And the headlines mourned with paeans all who died,

Who stared into our living rooms with scared unseeing eyes.


Who were this foe who lay so mangled in their death

But people just like us, who dared a hopeful breath?

And if mere dreams be punished thus, what else for us is left

But graveyard cities only, of the spark of hope bereft?


In the wake of tanks and motley ranks of troops all drugged to kill

A swathe of carnage festers 'til a city's heart is stilled.

Is this Order then, the many smashed to break their will,

And leadership supplanted by a single charnel skill?


Surely that's the Order only utter madmen wreak,

Silent like the graveyard where none remain to speak,

Where death replies and blinds the eyes of all who answers seek,

As if a word let slip might serve to tip the tyrant from his seat.


What did they wrong these dead but to demand a better world,

The cause their killers spoused when once their flags unfurled?

And if 'tis no longer people these bloody traitors serve,

What serve they then but Satan, madness or the meaningless of words?


We lost a thousand friends that day, while we stood helpless by,

As a legion of the best of us for the rest of us lay down and died

At the hand of those whose recourse is the bullet and the lie

Whose geriatric hatred keeps a doddering creed alive.


Only darkest evil could have spawned the nightmare deed,

Which the death of innocents to serve its whim decreed,

Then bade brother murder brother sprung from selfsame seed,

Then with satisfaction watched a weeping nation bleed.


Lost to love and reason in lofty offices of state,

Cold and old these demons ordered tanks to serve their hate;

Unfit to plead yet fit to lead they still decree the fate

Of the recent dead and dead-to-be, 'til freedom's pulse abates.


"The People's Army will protect you!" The scheming liars said;

"Your dreams shall not be stricken nor your precious blood be shed!"

Then for the People and the System loosed the dogs of war instead,

For the people, by the People, left the people dead.


Yet we have seen that something of far greater power guides

The brave and noble sons who still lay down their lives,

That force in all its savagery shall never quite contrive

To quench the torch we took from the hands of those who died.


The image of a boy who stood alone before the guns

Burns into our hearts the thought that evil has not won;

Where one man dies then others rise for the battle just begun

And now the struggle's ours, let's rise and get it done!

by: kieron mcfadden

Rumi, the Most Popular Poet in America

"For many years now, the most popular poet in America has been a 13th-century mystical Muslim scholar (RUMI)." (BBC)

Mevlana Rumi is one of the most widely read poets in America. Born in Afghanistan, he later migrated to turkey and settled there. He is the best known Muslim Sufi poet, particularly in the west. His poetry and prose is brimming with the love of God and self realization through Divine love. He takes you to a journey of love and self discovery. It has been a few decades since his teachings have started illuminating the western world after enlightening the east for centuries.

The Theme of Rumi’s Works

Rumi’s original Persian poetry and prose has been translated into English by numerous American, English, German and Indian writers. The main theme of his works is the union with our true Beloved (God) and the journey to discover the meaning of life and the purpose of creation. He professes that we were a part of this Supreme Being and our impurity has cut us off from Him.

We search for Him here and there
while looking right at Him.
Sitting by His side we ask,
"O Beloved, where is the Beloved?"

The purpose of creation is to purify ourselves since it is the only way to seek union with our Root, our True Beloved. Rumi's major work is the "Mathnawi", comprising of 25,000 verses of spiritual teaching and Sufi wisdom. Mathnawi is considered as the greatest spiritual masterpiece ever written.

Why is Rumi so Popular in America?

It is indeed thought provoking as to why and how Rumi has become so popular in United States. It is in fact a sign of great spiritual thirst within Americans and wherever he is read. Moreover, the universal appeal of his teachings has attracted all religions and cultures to him. According to Shahram Shiva, "The world of Rumi is neither exclusively the world of a Sufi, nor the world of a Hindu, nor a Jew, nor a Christian; it is the highest state of a human being - a fully evolved human. Today Rumi's poems can be heard in churches, synagogues, Zen monasteries, as well as in the downtown New York art/performance/music scene."

Rumi provides an answer to many of the questions that disturb us. Why am I born? What is the purpose of creation? Where am I going to go after death?

"I died as a mineral and became a plant,
I died as plant and rose to animal,
I died as animal and I was Man.
Why should I fear? When was I less by dying?
Yet once more I shall die as Man, to soar
With angels blest; but even from angelhood
I must pass on: all except God doth perish.
When I have sacrificed my angel-soul,
I shall become what no mind e'er conceived.
Oh, let me not exist! for Non-existence
Proclaims in organ tones, 'To Him we shall return.'"

The Whirling Dervishes

The recently released Indian film "Jodha Akbar" shows a glimpse of whirling dervishes in the song "Khawaja merey khawaj". The whirling dervishes in fact come from the Sufi order of Mevlana Rumi. It was Rumi who introduced this whirling or Sema as a form of human being's spiritual journey and love to Perfection. Turning toward the Truth, he experiences love, goes beyond the ego, meets the truth, and reaches at Perfection. Then he returns from this spiritual journey after becoming mature and complete; he can love and serve the creation without any discrimination.



The Discourse of Rumi and Divan-e- Shams Tabraiz are Rumi’s other masterpieces. He invites mankind to love God and be a part of Him since we are what we love. Our souls are restless because we are veiled from the Beloved. Once we polish the mirror of the heart, the Beloved would reflect in it. What Rumi presents here is in fact the mystical teaching of Islam as put by Prophet Muhammad ( may peace be upon him): "The best of God's servants are those who, when seen, remind one of God." We are with our Beloved, a part of Him, but our own impurities do not let us merge with Him. The result is chaos and restlessness as the world is experiencing today.

"Lovers don’t finally meet somewhere, they're in each other all along…" RUMI

by: fariha khan

MY Life My World

My life and My world where with changing times had to change the road

I never thought of being a good friend so never had a single one

I never thought of being a nice person so the reward was none

Had many GF's but every time i cared for none

Had many well wishers but gave importance to none

Got addicted to worldly things and then it made me feel really numb

Where had many fights and got appreciation from none

It was all the wrong things that made me look so dumb

Where i felt lonely as I was the only one

Every time I was told that this is not you who had care for no one

With ego in my mind again I listened to none

Where It was high time where the problems that I created couldn't be summed

Ran to my family to seek help from every one

Got the guidence but again adhered to none

Felt bad and Questioned God the only One

When will i be sensible enough to listen to everyone

This time Choose the right path again and tried best to listen to everyone

But there was one thing that felt strange as all what I had left was no space for fun

An illness that got me numb

But for sure got cured from the family without whom i was none

A Charm that persuaded me to have some fun

Ended up me in a position where i had no One

A life that started of with a roolercoaster fun

And ended up with person who was dependent for everyone

THATS MY PART OF STORY A STORY THAT WOULD BE DRAMATIC ONE FOR EVERYONE ONE

BUT A TRUTHFUL EVENT THAT HAPPENED WITH ME THE ONE AND THE ONLY ONE

by: Asad Khan

The Breath Of The Almighty Gives Me LIFE

The Spirit of God has made me and the Breath of the Almighty has given me life. God Almighty: Lord of Host: The Breath of Life: Creator of the Universe. Oh How Powerful is HE. The One who rules and reigns with Majesty.You alone are God. You have created us, this earthen vessel from the dirt and the dust. From heart to heart and breast to breast you formed us in your image and laid upon our chest. Into our nostrils you breathed "this breath of Life"And now I AM, we are a living creation.

I AM so delighted to be awakened, a new song in my mouth: Abba Father. I do declare I am born of His Spirit, washed in His blood, and filled with His Perfect Love. I am predestined and preordained to worship and reverence His Holy Name. To praise, love and adore Him, to trust having faith to believe: His life my Testimony, His Death my Victory, His Resurrection my Authority. All his gifts, talents, and skills, his sustenance I do receive. God's Spirit has made me to see beyond this physical world, and the spirit of discernment in the inner ear: I do hear Him Speak. My breath have given life to great expectations in my kingdom there is no deception.

My Sons and Daughters actively engage yourself in this reception committ totally to this inception. The Holy Ghost, The Almighty: this breath of life have given conception. My Sons and Daughters you are pregnant with twins: Inhale and Exhale, bring forth and give birth. Multiply breathing, Take dominion, replinish the earth this is your season. Put an end to all doubt, unbelief and fear, extend your neck, fine tune your ear, breathe-inhale deeply, be attentive and hear, obey the Lord and live. My promises are true and shall take place, my blessing shall continue: you are Abraham's seed you do belong.

My authority I breathed into you, don't be afraid of their evil faces, you are seated with me in heavenly places. Speak my word boldly, Love unselfishly (Agopy) Rejoice, Delightfully, Give Cheerfully, Purpose to do God's will daily, work God's plan for your life with integrity. My breath is given unto life: Salvation, Healing, Deliverance, Joy, Grace, Mercy, Righteousness, Reconciliation, Restoration, Peace, Prosperity, Power and Praise.

Exhale forcibly this breath of life, it violently blows hard against all strife, it shatters the darkness and strikes a deadly blow against all evil. Exhale destroy the principalities, dominions of chaos, void and unholiness. This breath of life grow stronger and more fierce blasting through all satanic rule, this breath of life did pierce., giving sound, a voice, a word did take form: BE, and this breath of life is light for you and for me.

Darla Y. Wilson-West at Briana's Inner Beauty Life Essentials living a 4Ever Healthy & Fit Lifestyle.

by: Darla Y Wilson-Wes

Many Ways To Die From Psychiatric Drugs

There are many ways to die from legal psychiatric drugs: through overdose, through illness occasioned by the devastating effects of the drug upon the body's organs, through suicide and loss of impulse control (many psychiatric medications list such among their many adverse reactions) or simply through accidents that result from loss of judgment and reaction time on the part of persons driving vehicles or handling machinery whilst "high" on such medications.

The dangers of driving, handling machinery or flying an aircraft, for example, while under the influence of even small amounts of one particular drug – alcohol – are well known. The same can probably be said for most street drugs: Nobody would want to be the passenger in a car or aircraft where the driver or pilot is high on marijuana and no airline – I hope – would employ a pilot found to have cocaine in his system.

Why? For the obvious reason that these drugs impair judgment and reaction time and distort perception.

But what about psychiatric medication? So far as I know, it is not illegal for someone to drive a motor vehicle while off his or her face on any one of a vast slew of mind altering psychiatric medications, yet if anyone cared to test these I guarantee they will find they have a debilitating effect on the user very much in the same league as alcohol, heroin, LSD or Extacy.

Come to think of it, street drugs such as Extacy and LSD (popularized forty years ago by a psychiatrist – the infamous Timothy Leary) were originally psychiatric drugs before becoming street drugs and many psychiatric drugs such as Temazepam are used by addicts!

The incidence of road traffic accidents resulting from alcohol intoxication is well documented. But nobody is studying or keeping statistics on injury and death resulting from intoxication by psychotropic medication. Why? Do the pharmaceutical giants have more influence over government by any chance than the breweries and Columbian cartels?

In my view a great deal more death and injury could be avoided if the rules applying to alcohol and street drugs were extended to psychiatric drugs.

This would at least reduce the capacity of the psychiatric industry to kill and maim the general public – not enough but a step, at least, in the right direction

by: kieron mcfadden

A Guide to Praising Comments

I know I have. This short article will be a quick guide on how to praise a comment, and the criterian on which it should be praised.

First, everyone has had a in-depth comment from someone, hopefully. Some people may take the comment to be mean, but it may be constructive to your poem! If they suggest things to change, or something along those lines, then change it! Whether it be the flow of the poem, or a phrase; if it helps, change it!

Comments can be very constructive, or very blunt, depending on the commenter. Usually people who have been on the site for a long time tend to give more in depth comments, instead of the quick, "I liked it, 5/5". I like receiving those nice, long, constructive comments. They really help me to fix a poem and make it a lot better.

You should praise a comment if they helped you in any way. If they just suggested a word change, or a change of flow in the poem, praise them! But remember, just because they are a highly ranked member does not mean they need to be praised.

They could have platinum all across the board and have won weekly contests, but that has no say in whether you should praise it or not. It all depends on the depth of the comment, and whether it is "praise-worthy."

So there you have it. Praise the comments that give you helpful, constructive criticism. Do not praise the quick one-liners. They don't help you any.

by: adamkasi