Friday, May 18, 2012

Downtown Chicago

Yesterday,  Chicago, with a gorgeous weather, heightened security for weekend NATO summit, was ebullient and filled with humor.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Eclipse

L'Eclisse by Antonioni...
"Eclipse is about a young woman who breaks up with an older lover and then has an affair with a confident young stockbroker whose materialistic nature eventually undermines their relationship.[2] The film is considered the last part of a trilogy which was preceded by L'Avventura (1960) and La Notte (1961)...."
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The Genius Of The Crowd

Charles Bukowski

there is enough treachery, hatred violence absurdity in the average
human being to supply any given army on any given day

and the best at murder are those who preach against it
and the best at hate are those who preach love
and the best at war finally are those who preach peace

those who preach god, need god
those who preach peace do not have peace
those who preach peace do not have love


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My Birth Place, Dezful


By Ezzat Goushegir

Dezful, is my birth place

Dezful,
you taught me how to love
How to hate
how to be angry
how to be tender

how to respect our earth, our environment,
trees, flowers, birds, animals, sun, air, water...

Dezful, you taught me how to smell, touch, breathe,
how to follow my instinct, my curiosity, my desires
in the dare-devil hot days...

You taught me how to build birds' nests,
feed the sparrows by a piece of bread left on the table,
view the universe from behind the brick windows...
find complexities, like the labyrinthine corridors of "Shawadoon"s,
observe communications between people sitting on "Sakoo"s or "Khajeh neshin"s
watching naked children playing with pebbles in the narrow allies

You taught me how to respect people's privacy
when walking through dark "Daalaan"s...

You taught me to be recklessly free when sleeping on the rooftop,
being close to the untouchable sky, the moon, the stars..

You taught me to be fragrant like your "Faash''es, like your "Zool"s...

You taught me to be brave and audacious like your summer sun
to be wild, like your spring thunderstorms
And be shy and timid like my long dress covering my pink bra
when the wind roars under its dancing waves...






Why Am I Opposed to War

Why Am I Opposed to War in Vietnma
 Speech by Martin Luther King, Jr. against the "triple evils of racism, economic exploitation, and militarism.".

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Monday Night with Ponchielli, Puccini, Mozart and a Woman with a huge hat!


ON Monday night I was invited to see three scenes of three different operas at Civic Orchestra of Chicago, conducted by Sir Andrew Davis, in memory of Florence Boone, a devoted Lyric Opera of Chicago supporter since 1960 who passed away on APRIL 2012, at the age of ninety three.

The first musical piece was “Dance of the Hours” from act 3 of Amilcare Ponchielli’s La Gioconda (The joyful girl).

The second piece was Act 4 of LaBoheme by Puccini.  And the third piece was Act 2 from the Marriage of Figaro by Wolfgang Mozart.

My friend preferred to sit on the balcony, I preferred the center orchestra. The tickets were already purchased and I had to respect my host. A woman next to me asked: What perfume do you wear? I told her. She was drowned into the scent of my perfume and the radiance of orchestra Hall…then she said: Your pink scarf matches beautifully with your black dress! I felt delightful! 
A woman with a round black hat sitting on front seat with peculiar fake aristocratic gesture, blocking my view from seeing the singers, reminded me of Charlie Chaplin’s movies. Distressed by the hat, I busied myself with the book, following the librettos. I wanted so badly to see Mimi and Rodolfo’s face, the sweat on their foreheads, the sparkle in their eyes when they sing the words of love, but I swallowed my longing for those moments…

Well only one, but it’s huge as the ocean,
As deep and infinite as the sea…

(She puts her arms around Rodolfo’s neck.)

You’re my entire life,
You’re my love!

Rodolfo: Ah Mimi, my beautiful Mimi!

Mimi: Do you still find me beautiful?

Rodolfo: As lovely as the dawn.

Mimi: You’re wrong in the comparison.
You should say: Lovely as the sunset

As Mimi, Tracy Cantin, soprano, had a "presence" on the stage.

Remembring Maurice Sendak

Fresh Air Remembers Author Maurice Sendak