Windows

To hold infinity in the palm of your hand

Now I know why they say the eyes are the windows to the soul; To be able to find vast truths in the smallest of things.
To hold eternity in an hour.

Cutie

Etienne & Emma

He is fascinated by her;
A life-sized-movable-stuff-toy.
She is wary of him;
An ear-grabbing-squealing-curious-baby.

Dimashq

Early morning shadows

I remember this morning. I remember pulling the heavy iron handle on the door that separated the hotel from the city. As I stepped out into the alley I realized that the whole city was quiet. It was still early. Standing in the dusty alley, I silently mouthed "Damascus" and as I did, I felt the weight of the word on my lips; the weight of civilizations. "Damascus", the very name that has rested on the lips of the multitude that came before me. A name that is as old as history. And I recall feeling a sense of awe and disbelief, for I could hardly believe that I was in this ancient city I had heard and read so much about. Soon, I was walking down the alley where I made a right turn at the end and saw the first shadow of the morning, on a wall that had seen a thousand sunrises. So this is what greatness means, being able to withstand the passage of time.

Lantern

can you feel
the weight of your ancestors
and their expectations
hanging

Lock

set me free
let me feel
what its like
to be wanted
as i am

Ruienlust

Apamea, on the Orontes

I walked down the colonnaded avenue, feeling the wind on my face as it rushed across the plains. I felt the crushing loneliness of the landscape and my heart instantly yearned for some form of human contact. But there was none. As I looked up, I saw pedestals built into the columns where statues of great men from before used to stand, watching over the lesser who pass below them. Now the statutes are gone, displaced by wild plants and birds, probably encased in a museum where they are being watched over instead. Time has a way of turning things on its head. I knew I was in search of something, perhaps an answer. Hopeful that those that came before had left me a key to decipher the vagaries of modernity. But now I know I hoped in vain. For there is nothing left but ruins, ruined.

Bench

Yet another empty bench.

I have always felt comfortable with death and far too often I find myself seeking solace amongst the departed. Its not that I have suicidal tendencies. I am just envious of the serenity that the departed have found. No more choices, no more decisions. Once again, I find myself back at this bench, with the names of those that have gone in glory ascribed around me; This time alone. I let out an existentialist sigh; Sartre would have been proud. For I know too well that to choose is to be free and to choose is to live.

Wonder

Wide eyed wanderer

When I look at Etienne play, I cannot help but think that we are made to wonder and wander.

Curiosity

Contentment. For now, the wrapper will suffice.

One day, baby Etienne will realize that having the ice-cream is a much sweeter deal than just having the wrapper. But for now, he is contented to play with the shiny crinkly wrapper while mommy chomps away on the ice-cream. I like spending long afternoons with the godson, watching him learn about the world and himself bit by bit. To him, everything is new and should be taken on with relish, his actions driven by sheer curiosity. It is refreshing to see such unadulterated emotions and most unfortunate that we lose quite a fair bit of that as we grow older; Our penchant for curiosity being superseded by habit and fear, our true emotions tempered by the need for appearances. Watching baby Etienne seems to breathe new life into this world or at least my world. And perhaps that is what the next generation is supposed to be, a breath of fresh air that renews the earth, recharging the old with hope that we are not all that lost; For we once were.

Hopper

Excursion into philosophy

how come nobody told me
all throughout history
the loneliest people
were the ones who always spoke the truth

Ciel

世界是圆的
我想我们会再见面