<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><?xml-stylesheet href="http://www.blogger.com/styles/atom.css" type="text/css"?><feed xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom' xmlns:openSearch='http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/' xmlns:georss='http://www.georss.org/georss' xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34752263</id><updated>2011-04-21T22:59:37.635+02:00</updated><category term='Quotes'/><category term='Poems'/><category term='Short Stories'/><category term='Macabre'/><category term='Cynicism'/><category term='Mixed Culture'/><category term='Musings'/><category term='Links'/><title type='text'>Mind Terrible</title><subtitle type='html'>This blog is to serve as a journal where I'll post my own personal thoughts on social, individual, and philosophical issues. Sometimes it will also contain posts from other sources.</subtitle><link rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default?max-results=100'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/'/><link rel='hub' href='http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/'/><author><name>Daisy Tchiftjian</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06631095574952133805</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iFGlPmwmJHo/SMg4pJoDxfI/AAAAAAAAADA/dMwrpamCDW0/S220/PICT0013.JPG'/></author><generator version='7.00' uri='http://www.blogger.com'>Blogger</generator><openSearch:totalResults>42</openSearch:totalResults><openSearch:startIndex>1</openSearch:startIndex><openSearch:itemsPerPage>100</openSearch:itemsPerPage><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34752263.post-13566013325030458</id><published>2008-12-04T00:39:00.001+02:00</published><updated>2008-12-04T00:46:58.258+02:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Musings'/><title type='text'>Monochrome</title><content type='html'>I watch the swift movements of the Filipina who is skillfully applying my favorite color to  my fingernails, my mind hopping from one thought to another when it pauses all of a sudden upon hearing another customer utter “...dark black...”.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I always thought “light black” is gray.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;But then I also thought it's either black or white...&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I'm not sure if it's always been that way, but it seems to me in life it's never either black or white now because there are shades to these entities nowadays.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Light white, light black, dark white, dark black; not just plain black, or plain white anymore. As nothing is just right and nothing is just wrong; that seems to be the standards by which people live these days.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;And you wonder...maybe gray is more absolute than black and white now...&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Copyright © 2008 Daisy Tchiftjian&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/34752263-13566013325030458?l=mindterrible.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/feeds/13566013325030458/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=34752263&amp;postID=13566013325030458&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/13566013325030458'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/13566013325030458'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/2008/12/monochrome.html' title='Monochrome'/><author><name>Daisy Tchiftjian</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06631095574952133805</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iFGlPmwmJHo/SMg4pJoDxfI/AAAAAAAAADA/dMwrpamCDW0/S220/PICT0013.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34752263.post-7773807436838633187</id><published>2008-09-10T23:15:00.006+02:00</published><updated>2008-09-13T06:30:18.063+02:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Poems'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Musings'/><title type='text'>Voices</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;font-family:trebuchet ms;" &gt;Part I&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;After a prolonged unconsciousness&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;I look around with bloodshot eyes&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;Still shivering on the ground where I lie&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;As every inch of my body comes back to life...&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-style: italic;font-family:trebuchet ms;" &gt;Where am I? Where am I?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;As the scheming day bows at its end&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;I lay in bed weary and spent&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;I think to myself but it's others' voices I hear&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;And my small gasps when I try to discover...&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-style: italic;font-family:trebuchet ms;" &gt;Who am I? Who am I?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;I still find myself where I never thought I'd be,&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;In my mind, in my soul and physically&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;As the days, months and years pass by me&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;I look for myslef and I look for you...&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-style: italic;font-family:trebuchet ms;" &gt;Where is home? Where is home?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-style: italic;font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"  &gt;Copyright © 2008 Daisy Tchiftjian&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/34752263-7773807436838633187?l=mindterrible.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/feeds/7773807436838633187/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=34752263&amp;postID=7773807436838633187&amp;isPopup=true' title='7 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/7773807436838633187'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/7773807436838633187'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/2008/09/voices.html' title='Voices'/><author><name>Daisy Tchiftjian</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06631095574952133805</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iFGlPmwmJHo/SMg4pJoDxfI/AAAAAAAAADA/dMwrpamCDW0/S220/PICT0013.JPG'/></author><thr:total>7</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34752263.post-6475569758446137351</id><published>2008-08-27T22:47:00.003+02:00</published><updated>2008-08-27T23:08:08.627+02:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Quotes'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Musings'/><title type='text'></title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"&gt;A rule of thumb of respect: it cannot be achieved without acknowledging someone for who and what they are.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: trebuchet ms; font-size: 85%;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Copyright © 2008 Daisy Tchiftjian&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/34752263-6475569758446137351?l=mindterrible.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/feeds/6475569758446137351/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=34752263&amp;postID=6475569758446137351&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/6475569758446137351'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/6475569758446137351'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/2008/08/rule-of-thumb-of-respect-it-cannot-be.html' title=''/><author><name>Daisy Tchiftjian</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06631095574952133805</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iFGlPmwmJHo/SMg4pJoDxfI/AAAAAAAAADA/dMwrpamCDW0/S220/PICT0013.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34752263.post-5000680952316774320</id><published>2008-07-16T19:46:00.003+02:00</published><updated>2008-07-16T21:00:40.376+02:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Quotes'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Musings'/><title type='text'></title><content type='html'>When you lie you'll become the slave of your deceit&lt;br /&gt;And if you get caught I'll make you the slave of your guilt...&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"  &gt;&lt;em&gt;Copyright © 2008 Daisy Tchiftjian&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/34752263-5000680952316774320?l=mindterrible.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/feeds/5000680952316774320/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=34752263&amp;postID=5000680952316774320&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/5000680952316774320'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/5000680952316774320'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/2008/07/when-you-lie-youll-become-slave-of-your.html' title=''/><author><name>Daisy Tchiftjian</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06631095574952133805</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iFGlPmwmJHo/SMg4pJoDxfI/AAAAAAAAADA/dMwrpamCDW0/S220/PICT0013.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34752263.post-3122270891267350141</id><published>2008-07-16T19:42:00.004+02:00</published><updated>2008-07-16T22:07:57.682+02:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Quotes'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Musings'/><title type='text'></title><content type='html'>Memories are the sensations of what you can no loger have and often times they are the echos of what you wish to permanently forget.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"  &gt;&lt;em&gt;Copyright © 2008 Daisy Tchiftjian&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/34752263-3122270891267350141?l=mindterrible.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/feeds/3122270891267350141/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=34752263&amp;postID=3122270891267350141&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/3122270891267350141'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/3122270891267350141'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/2008/07/memories-are-sensations-of-what-you-can.html' title=''/><author><name>Daisy Tchiftjian</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06631095574952133805</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iFGlPmwmJHo/SMg4pJoDxfI/AAAAAAAAADA/dMwrpamCDW0/S220/PICT0013.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34752263.post-4416688731684525632</id><published>2008-06-27T23:38:00.005+02:00</published><updated>2008-06-28T09:44:06.012+02:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Poems'/><title type='text'>In The Land of Opportunities</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;Lost in strange darkness and spent&lt;br /&gt;I plunge my feet in and out of the sand&lt;br /&gt;As my instincts drag me here and there&lt;br /&gt;Alone, with only my homeland's music in my head.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;I'm stranded in the desert&lt;br /&gt;Far from the blanket of fake modernity,&lt;br /&gt;Seeking other alien footrprints like mine&lt;br /&gt;To find some shred of warm familiarity.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;Footprints erased into oblivion&lt;br /&gt;By the wind that carries my tune&lt;br /&gt;Away and back like flickering fireflies&lt;br /&gt;Under these starless moonlit skies.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;The melody that now echoes in the air&lt;br /&gt;Pulls me further into the blackness&lt;br /&gt;Till I find myself moving to the rhythm of foreigness&lt;br /&gt;In a round dance with other familiar srangers.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;We find home again through this sensually vulgar beat,&lt;br /&gt;For a few moments we feel relieved and complete&lt;br /&gt;As we whirl around the fire of longing our souls create&lt;br /&gt;Like pagans paying homage to Brigit.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;And I wonder, as dawn creeps above the dunes,&lt;br /&gt;If I'll ever reclaim my sense of belonging&lt;br /&gt;In this land where we buy success&lt;br /&gt;With the crushing price of loneliness.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Copyright © 2008 Daisy Tchiftjian&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/34752263-4416688731684525632?l=mindterrible.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/feeds/4416688731684525632/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=34752263&amp;postID=4416688731684525632&amp;isPopup=true' title='14 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/4416688731684525632'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/4416688731684525632'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/2008/06/in-land-of-opportunities.html' title='In The Land of Opportunities'/><author><name>Daisy Tchiftjian</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06631095574952133805</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iFGlPmwmJHo/SMg4pJoDxfI/AAAAAAAAADA/dMwrpamCDW0/S220/PICT0013.JPG'/></author><thr:total>14</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34752263.post-859939927039683521</id><published>2008-03-13T03:53:00.002+02:00</published><updated>2008-03-13T04:04:24.718+02:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Musings'/><title type='text'>"The Child Is The Father of Man"</title><content type='html'>1:30 AM, and I’m trying to sleep, but my eyes are open and my thoughts restless. No, it’s not the late night coffee that’s finally kicked in, but the normal reactions to my preparations for moving to U.A.E…the waiting, the stress, the rush, the anticipation, the goodbyes, the new life, the sadness, the happiness…    &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;Happiness…&lt;/p&gt;    &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;That was the last station where my mind waited for the bus to pick it up and take it for a journey to explore that certain word people live and die for…&lt;/p&gt;    &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;Happiness. &lt;/p&gt;    &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;That’s what I was thinking about as I lay in the bed looking around my barely visible room where everything appeared grainy to my eyes, like a grayscale picture with low resolution.&lt;/p&gt;    &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;I had always thought that happiness is shallow, a wonderful euphoria that teaches nothing.&lt;/p&gt;    &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;I was wondering when was the last time I felt genuinely happy – it wasn’t too long ago – and that in turn made me try to remember the first time I ever felt it. It didn’t take me long to start to think of my nephew. &lt;/p&gt;    &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;Almost everyone familiar with my life’s circumstances knows that I travel to UAE every chance I get to visit my loved ones. And I spend all my free time there with my nephew ever since he was born in 2003. &lt;/p&gt;    &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;It never takes much time to gain the friendship of my nephew. Well, that’s not true. It takes no time at all, at least not with me (and I’m sure with some others as well, despite the lonely childhood he’s having). The last time I went there in summer 2007, I stayed for only ten days. One of those days, he got mad at me for something I didn’t do for him. But soon I won him over again and that night – a few hours past his bedtime - he came to “my” room where I was using my laptop. He lay down beside me on the sofa-bed, and started to ask questions about this and that as usual, until he got sleepy. At last, he said:&lt;/p&gt;    &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;“Hokkou (Auntie), I’m not upset with you anymore” &lt;/p&gt;    &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;I smiled and kissed him on his cheek.&lt;/p&gt;    &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;And he continued with his sleepy little voice, “You know, I’m really happy that you’re here…”&lt;/p&gt;    &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;And my smile – and heart – broke into million little pieces. &lt;/p&gt;    &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;I hugged him and let him fall asleep with his head on my lap, stroking his hair calmly; but there was nothing calm about the tears that were crawling down my face, or the curses I was directing to myself, my fate, my family and God…&lt;/p&gt;    &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;What and how did a four year old know about happiness? How could he relate that word to the way he was feeling - not in a certain instant, but during a period of time?! I was a happy child myself, but I don’t remember using that word so early…or even knowing that I actually felt that way.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;I see children laugh…I haven’t seen him laugh as much as others do…but he knew when he was happy…he’s able to understand and live words beyond their physical sense. &lt;/p&gt;    &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;And he taught me that happiness can be as deep and profound as misery. In the end, they’re both really about what you have, and what you don’t.&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: 85%;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Copyright © 2008 Daisy Tchiftjian&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt; &lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/34752263-859939927039683521?l=mindterrible.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/feeds/859939927039683521/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=34752263&amp;postID=859939927039683521&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/859939927039683521'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/859939927039683521'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/2008/03/child-is-father-of-man.html' title='&quot;The Child Is The Father of Man&quot;'/><author><name>Daisy Tchiftjian</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06631095574952133805</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iFGlPmwmJHo/SMg4pJoDxfI/AAAAAAAAADA/dMwrpamCDW0/S220/PICT0013.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34752263.post-837053769210606558</id><published>2008-01-19T22:08:00.001+02:00</published><updated>2008-01-21T10:00:54.553+02:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Musings'/><title type='text'>January 15</title><content type='html'>&lt;a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_iFGlPmwmJHo/R5RPl5motWI/AAAAAAAAABY/iyjsZcQZm0E/s1600-h/image_6498243.jpg"&gt;&lt;img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 252px; height: 168px;" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_iFGlPmwmJHo/R5RPl5motWI/AAAAAAAAABY/iyjsZcQZm0E/s320/image_6498243.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5157834985782687074" border="0" /&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;It was another grey winter afternoon, full of the rush of the second day of the week. So many tasks were waiting for me at work; once I arrived and immediately took to them I never looked up to see the time until-&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt; &lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;BOOM&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt; &lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;It was all in a matter of seconds that I leapt from my place and ran – along with other colleagues who were present – toward the opposite wall from where the deafening and heart-stopping sound of the explosion came and the first thing that occurred to my strangely still rational mind was: &lt;i&gt;This was here…oh no…&lt;/i&gt; and I began to pray that the people I knew would tread that road were safe and immediately took my mobile to call them.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt; &lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;But the lines were dead.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt; &lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;My hands were shaking. Everyone was on their feet looking at each other with terror on their teary faces. Soon enough we heard the sirens of ambulances and fire trucks approaching.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt; &lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;The bomb had exploded on the corner of the lane that leads to a highway – just a block away from where I work. &lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt; &lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;It’s not an unusual event anymore, it’s been happening since 2005. But of course, none of us civillians would believe that we can be on site when it happens next – until it does.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt; &lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;A friend asked me what it was like to hear the bomb go off so near, and how I felt during the ordeal. I told him I was horrified but the feeling faded after a few minutes, and dramatically seconds after it happened, during which my mind calculated that I’m safe and alive and okay. Actually, I was much more terrified – and for a longer time – of other things in life, like during a simple and "fun" rollercoaster ride I took about four years ago. Back then I even thought that I was living my last moments and it didn’t make me feel safer that I had company, or that there were other people on the ride also.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt; &lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;So all that fear and shock and fuss – it’s all pointless drama, because it was over in a second. At least for those who were lucky like us.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt; &lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  It's &lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;the realization that I was only a few meters away, or one and a half hours away from death that is horrifying on a more profound level. It makes me stop, relive the moment, and reflect on my life. I won’t be living forever, but this wasn’t the first time my life was spared…And I am yet to find out why…&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/34752263-837053769210606558?l=mindterrible.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/feeds/837053769210606558/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=34752263&amp;postID=837053769210606558&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/837053769210606558'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/837053769210606558'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/2008/01/january-15.html' title='January 15'/><author><name>Daisy Tchiftjian</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06631095574952133805</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iFGlPmwmJHo/SMg4pJoDxfI/AAAAAAAAADA/dMwrpamCDW0/S220/PICT0013.JPG'/></author><media:thumbnail xmlns:media='http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/' url='http://bp1.blogger.com/_iFGlPmwmJHo/R5RPl5motWI/AAAAAAAAABY/iyjsZcQZm0E/s72-c/image_6498243.jpg' height='72' width='72'/><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34752263.post-4672829759510641948</id><published>2008-01-13T14:50:00.000+02:00</published><updated>2008-01-13T18:35:51.244+02:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Cynicism'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Musings'/><title type='text'>"Bourdj-Hammoudtsi"</title><content type='html'>&lt;div style="text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"  &gt;“RIDICULE, n. Words designed to show that the person of whom they are uttered is devoid of the dignity of character distinguishing him who utters them.”&lt;/span&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:10;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: left;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;                                    &lt;span style="font-size:10;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;                                    The Devil’s Dictionary, Ambrose Bierce&lt;/span&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;    &lt;p class="MsoNormal"  style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span lang="EN-US"  style="font-size:10;"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt; &lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;In order to comprehend the meaning of "Bourdj Hammoudtsi", one has to know that Bourdj Hammoud (in Armenian dialect), is a town in &lt;st1:place st="on"&gt;&lt;st1:city st="on"&gt;Beirut&lt;/st1:city&gt;&lt;/st1:place&gt; suburbs named Bourj Hammoud in Arabic. A swamp formerly, it was given to Armenians who arrived to &lt;st1:country-region st="on"&gt;Lebanon&lt;/st1:country-region&gt; en route the &lt;st1:placetype st="on"&gt;desert&lt;/st1:placetype&gt; of &lt;st1:placename st="on"&gt;Der Zor&lt;/st1:placename&gt; in &lt;st1:country-region st="on"&gt;Syria&lt;/st1:country-region&gt; via the death marches forced upon them by the &lt;st1:place st="on"&gt;Ottoman Empire&lt;/st1:place&gt;. Over the years, the survivors built homes, shops, factories, schools and churches, thus Bourj Hammoud became the stronghold of the Armenian community in &lt;st1:country-region st="on"&gt;&lt;st1:place st="on"&gt;Lebanon&lt;/st1:place&gt;&lt;/st1:country-region&gt;, growing into a municipality in its own right.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;    &lt;p class="MsoNormal"  style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;I should mention for those who are not Armenian, especially for those who do not live in Lebanon, that despite its advancements in organizing the road ways - in a country that mostly treads unorganized roads, despite the way it becomes more and more independent when it comes to business and marketing, and the way it renovates its constructions and builds new and modern ones, Bourj Hammoud is still considered a rather poor town, and Armenian families keep moving out to fancier areas. Now Armenian families reside in other places as well.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;    &lt;p class="MsoNormal"  style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;So “Bourdj-Hammoudtsi” is an Armenian term that describes someone who is from Bourj Hammoud, such as myself. But don’t be fooled by the objective nature of the word, for it’s not pronounced with innocent intent by those who live outside of the area. If Ambrose Bierce&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span lang="EN-US"  style="font-size:85%;"&gt;*&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt; was another uninventive ignorant Armenian snob living outside of Bourj Hammoud, his Devil’s Dictionary would not be an ingenious constructive criticism of his people, but a childish ridicule of others where he would define the term as such:&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;      &lt;p class="MsoNormal"  style="margin-left: 36pt;font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;Bourdj-Hammoudtsi: A low-class vulgar of ill manners and cheap&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt; expressions decorated with curses.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;    &lt;p class="MsoNormal"  style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;Pause.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;    &lt;p class="MsoNormal"  style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;Double take.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;    &lt;p class="MsoNormal"  style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;Disbelief.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;    &lt;p class="MsoNormal"  style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;Outrage.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;    &lt;p class="MsoNormal"  style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;Offense.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;    &lt;p class="MsoNormal"  style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;Now THOSE terms are how I feel and react everytime I witness firsthand, sometimes by my own friends, this way of relating to my hometown and its inhabitants, but then I overcome my shock when I realize how ignorant they are of their own vulgar ill-manners which are sugarcoated with what they believe to be sophistication. And to make it worse, they are oblivious of the fact that there are “Bourdj-Hammoudtsi”s everywhere. But of course… When there’s a thorn in your eye, the easiest thing to do is to shut your eye.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;    &lt;p class="MsoNormal"  style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;My name is Daisy, I am everything that I am, and I’m from Bourj Hammoud, a name people use to describe the worst things in others. And to all those people I will refrain from saying something that would rhyme with and sound like “got to yell”, not only because I don’t have it in me to say such things, but also because here I wish to make it a point not to live down to their expectations.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"  style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt; &lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"  style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;span lang="EN-US"  style="font-size:10;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;* Ambrose Bierce is a 19&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; century American satirist known for his masterpiece “The Devil’s Dictionary”.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/34752263-4672829759510641948?l=mindterrible.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/feeds/4672829759510641948/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=34752263&amp;postID=4672829759510641948&amp;isPopup=true' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/4672829759510641948'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/4672829759510641948'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/2008/01/bourdj-hammoudtsi.html' title='&quot;Bourdj-Hammoudtsi&quot;'/><author><name>Daisy Tchiftjian</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06631095574952133805</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iFGlPmwmJHo/SMg4pJoDxfI/AAAAAAAAADA/dMwrpamCDW0/S220/PICT0013.JPG'/></author><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34752263.post-2304004616166500543</id><published>2007-12-20T12:03:00.000+02:00</published><updated>2007-12-22T18:47:57.431+02:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Poems'/><title type='text'>On The Horizon</title><content type='html'>&lt;p class="MsoNormal"  style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;See on the far away horizon&lt;br /&gt;A silhouette figure standing alone&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;With her back turned to the world,&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Someone whose trust has been shattered&lt;br /&gt;To a thousand unmendable pieces,&lt;br /&gt;But something floats in the air&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Right beside her-&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Her hand, and it’s still reaching out&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;        &lt;p class="MsoNormal"  style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;With love&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;To give&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;To save…&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="MsoNormal"  style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;span style=";font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"  &gt;&lt;em&gt;Copyright © 2007 Daisy Tchiftjian&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/34752263-2304004616166500543?l=mindterrible.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/feeds/2304004616166500543/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=34752263&amp;postID=2304004616166500543&amp;isPopup=true' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/2304004616166500543'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/2304004616166500543'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/2007/12/on-horizon.html' title='On The Horizon'/><author><name>Daisy Tchiftjian</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06631095574952133805</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iFGlPmwmJHo/SMg4pJoDxfI/AAAAAAAAADA/dMwrpamCDW0/S220/PICT0013.JPG'/></author><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34752263.post-6119757772880770415</id><published>2007-12-19T15:20:00.000+02:00</published><updated>2007-12-19T15:29:15.441+02:00</updated><title type='text'>A Moment</title><content type='html'>&lt;p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;A time in eternity&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;That was taken away from me,&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A memory &lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I have no recollection of,&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A pain&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I find myself unable to feel&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Because of a moment&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I did not live.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;          &lt;p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;A void in my life,&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A dent in the space of time,&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A black hole in my universe&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Pulls in my whole existence&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;                &lt;p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;A link that was mutilated&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;From the chain of my path,&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Never to reconnect,&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Never to be replaced;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;And the next series goes on&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Like a river changing its course&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;When a barrier forms in its way.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;                  &lt;p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;A scene that was severed&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;From the director’s film,&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;An act gone awry&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;But not refined,&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;And a sequence follows&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Not related to the last,&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Except for an instant&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Of a scratched black strip in between.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;          &lt;p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;A moment of nothingness,&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A moment of not being&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Should have been a blessing&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;But became an eternal hunt for a memory.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;                      &lt;p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;So many moments in my years&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;That I wish they hadn’t been,&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;So many things in my life&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I wish I had not seen.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Even more moments &lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;That I strive to forever forget,&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Many moments but one:&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The one I didn’t live at all;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Of all the griefs I’ve suffered,&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I long to feel that which I didn’t feel at all.&lt;span style=""&gt; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: 85%;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: 85%;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Copyright © 2007 Daisy Tchiftjian&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/34752263-6119757772880770415?l=mindterrible.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/feeds/6119757772880770415/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=34752263&amp;postID=6119757772880770415&amp;isPopup=true' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/6119757772880770415'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/6119757772880770415'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/2007/12/moment.html' title='A Moment'/><author><name>Daisy Tchiftjian</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06631095574952133805</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iFGlPmwmJHo/SMg4pJoDxfI/AAAAAAAAADA/dMwrpamCDW0/S220/PICT0013.JPG'/></author><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34752263.post-3842373007320107877</id><published>2007-09-30T22:38:00.000+02:00</published><updated>2007-10-14T21:53:40.210+02:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Short Stories'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Musings'/><title type='text'>Two Spirits...</title><content type='html'>&lt;p class="MsoNormal"  style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;Two young spirits, wandering in a forest of tall trees and honey mist chance upon each other by fate. Having newly parted the physical world, they sit together for a chat, seeking encouragement and advice. They no longer speak of life’s possessions of love, money, politics and happiness, but of the Ultimate subject: Life itself.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;    &lt;p class="MsoNormal"  style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;The younger one asked, “Which concept do you believe in, Destiny or Free Will?”&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;    &lt;p class="MsoNormal"  style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;After pondering for a while, the older one answered, “I think Free Will is an illusion.”&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;    &lt;p class="MsoNormal"  style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;“I’m so relieved you think so, because I think so too” said the first, oblivious of the realization that every dying and every dead will think so in the end. “If everything is preplanned, then no matter how much you willed to do something, and no matter what you chose to do, it already was written that you will do it.”&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;    &lt;p class="MsoNormal"  style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;“I agree. But what if it’s both of these concepts together? Perhaps it was already decided how you will die, or when, but up until that point, you were free to do what you want, and one way or another you were eventually going to die the same way or time,” said the second. &lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;    &lt;p class="MsoNormal"  style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;“Still, if we consider this example where I will to hit you, and I hit you,” refuted the young one, “isn’t that Free Will?”&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;    &lt;p class="MsoNormal"  style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;“Yes, that would be &lt;i&gt;your&lt;/i&gt; Free Will, but also &lt;i&gt;my&lt;/i&gt; Destiny, because I didn’t choose to be hit!” answered the other.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;    &lt;p class="MsoNormal"  style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;“Alright, what about suicide?” said the first soul. “If it was fated that you commit suicide, and you commit suicide out of your own choice, how can you still think it was your own free will? It’s either Destiny or Free Will.”&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;    &lt;p class="MsoNormal"  style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;“Let’s consider chess,” replied the older spirit. “Let’s suppose Destiny to be the chessboard, and the chess pieces to be our lives. You’re moving the pieces out of free will, but you are still in the domain of the board, the destiny.”&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;        &lt;p class="MsoNormal"  style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;“Yes, but if I’m the King and fall on purpose because I’m sick of the game, isn’t that Free Will?”&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="MsoNormal"  style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;“Yes, but you still belong to the chessboard…”&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;p class="MsoNormal"  style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;span style=";font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"  &gt;&lt;em&gt;Copyright © 2007 Daisy Tchiftjian&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt; &lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal" face="trebuchet ms"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt; &lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/34752263-3842373007320107877?l=mindterrible.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/feeds/3842373007320107877/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=34752263&amp;postID=3842373007320107877&amp;isPopup=true' title='4 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/3842373007320107877'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/3842373007320107877'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/2007/09/two-spirits.html' title='Two Spirits...'/><author><name>Daisy Tchiftjian</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06631095574952133805</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iFGlPmwmJHo/SMg4pJoDxfI/AAAAAAAAADA/dMwrpamCDW0/S220/PICT0013.JPG'/></author><thr:total>4</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34752263.post-4802860388461303664</id><published>2007-09-22T22:58:00.000+02:00</published><updated>2007-10-18T17:39:07.841+02:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Poems'/><title type='text'>Enigmas To Resolve</title><content type='html'>&lt;p class="MsoNormal"  style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;span style="font-weight: bold;"&gt;Part I&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="MsoNormal"  style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" &gt;Tribute to a little one I saw on TV and all those suffering from the same condition&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;                &lt;p class="MsoNormal"  style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;See that&lt;span style=""&gt;  &lt;/span&gt;boy about four years of age,&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Wholeheartedly laughing with his parents,&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Running around in the living room,&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;So happy and careless, &lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I wonder if he knows his fate;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Born with a terminal illness,&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He’s his parents only joy – and ache.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;                        &lt;p class="MsoNormal"  style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;It’s a story we hear everyday,&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It stings like a mosquito bite&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Then in a minute, fades away;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;But it’s not like that when one sees it for real,&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The way father and mother hold him steady&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;While his whole body heaves,&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Coughing and breathing his heart out&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;As tears stream down his little face&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;To bare the pain of suffering in his eyes…&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Oh the sight of that pain that haunts me to this day&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Dear Lord, how can I feel happy again?!&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"  style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt; &lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/34752263-4802860388461303664?l=mindterrible.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/feeds/4802860388461303664/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=34752263&amp;postID=4802860388461303664&amp;isPopup=true' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/4802860388461303664'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/4802860388461303664'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/2007/09/enigmas-to-resolve.html' title='Enigmas To Resolve'/><author><name>Daisy Tchiftjian</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06631095574952133805</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iFGlPmwmJHo/SMg4pJoDxfI/AAAAAAAAADA/dMwrpamCDW0/S220/PICT0013.JPG'/></author><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34752263.post-2732329341720443914</id><published>2007-07-02T08:32:00.000+02:00</published><updated>2007-07-02T08:34:33.132+02:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Quotes'/><title type='text'></title><content type='html'>If every color has to signify something, the world will have to go transparent.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: 85%;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Copyright © 2007 Daisy Tchiftjian&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/34752263-2732329341720443914?l=mindterrible.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/feeds/2732329341720443914/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=34752263&amp;postID=2732329341720443914&amp;isPopup=true' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/2732329341720443914'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/2732329341720443914'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/2007/07/if-every-color-has-to-signify-something.html' title=''/><author><name>Daisy Tchiftjian</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06631095574952133805</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iFGlPmwmJHo/SMg4pJoDxfI/AAAAAAAAADA/dMwrpamCDW0/S220/PICT0013.JPG'/></author><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34752263.post-8551257461317712397</id><published>2007-06-21T09:15:00.000+02:00</published><updated>2007-06-21T09:18:05.363+02:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Poems'/><title type='text'>Ode to a Familiar Unknown</title><content type='html'>&lt;p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;‘Twas on a sunny afternoon,&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;On my way back home,&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;That my eyes chance upon&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A familiar profile&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Standing on the sidewalk, &lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Talking with gestures that I know&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;So well…&lt;o:p&gt; &lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;                &lt;p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;The blood in my veins&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Rush to my heart that leaps &lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In an exhilarating rhythm,&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Pounding like it does&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;When I’m waking up&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;From those dreams &lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Where I’m falling from the skies…&lt;o:p&gt; &lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;            &lt;p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;Alas…my heartbeat subsides&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;As I come to realize&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;That he is not you,&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;And my longing remains&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;But I am not disappointed,&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;For now I miss you&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A moment less than eternity…&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: 85%;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Copyright © 2007 Daisy Tchiftjian&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/34752263-8551257461317712397?l=mindterrible.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/feeds/8551257461317712397/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=34752263&amp;postID=8551257461317712397&amp;isPopup=true' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/8551257461317712397'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/8551257461317712397'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/2007/06/ode-to-familiar-unknown.html' title='Ode to a Familiar Unknown'/><author><name>Daisy Tchiftjian</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06631095574952133805</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iFGlPmwmJHo/SMg4pJoDxfI/AAAAAAAAADA/dMwrpamCDW0/S220/PICT0013.JPG'/></author><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34752263.post-901086068200433863</id><published>2007-06-04T16:22:00.000+02:00</published><updated>2007-06-04T16:42:49.572+02:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Macabre'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Musings'/><title type='text'>In the Name of Patriotism v2.0</title><content type='html'>&lt;p class="MsoNormal"  style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;In referrance to "In The Name of 'Justice and Patriotism'"(http://femmeterrible.blogspot.com)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="MsoNormal"  style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It’s been more than two weeks since the development of violence in &lt;/span&gt;&lt;st1:city&gt;&lt;st1:place&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;Tripoli&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/st1:place&gt;&lt;/st1:city&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;, north of &lt;/span&gt;&lt;st1:country-region&gt;&lt;st1:place&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;Lebanon&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/st1:place&gt;&lt;/st1:country-region&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;. And as if its escalation wasn’t enough for a country barely emerged from a devastating war last summer, more violence has expanded throughout the south as well.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"  style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;For the moment, I don’t wish to go through the details of how, why and when, and who is to blame. Still, my heart goes out to every single falling soldier in the fields…&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;          &lt;p class="MsoNormal"  style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;…And to their loved ones.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;…To the ones who cry their hearts and souls out.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;…To the woman who lost consciousness during the funeral.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;…To the wives and children who have to carry on with the pain, being at loss themselves…&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;…And I watch, in the news, as a colonel or a commander-in-chief presents a medal of honor to the family of the slain, and I think to myself: That medal won’t bring him back; perhaps that was his dream - to die in the battlefield in the name of patriotism, but looking at that medal, to the heroism it represents, I wonder what’s more dear to his mother: her son’s life itself or the heroic memory he left behind?&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=";font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"  &gt;&lt;em&gt;Copyright © 2007 Daisy Tchiftjian&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/34752263-901086068200433863?l=mindterrible.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/feeds/901086068200433863/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=34752263&amp;postID=901086068200433863&amp;isPopup=true' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/901086068200433863'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/901086068200433863'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/2007/06/in-name-of-patriotism-v20.html' title='In the Name of Patriotism v2.0'/><author><name>Daisy Tchiftjian</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06631095574952133805</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iFGlPmwmJHo/SMg4pJoDxfI/AAAAAAAAADA/dMwrpamCDW0/S220/PICT0013.JPG'/></author><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34752263.post-5480389020619974813</id><published>2007-05-25T19:39:00.000+02:00</published><updated>2007-05-25T20:14:59.824+02:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Poems'/><title type='text'>Catharsis</title><content type='html'>&lt;p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;Sealed memories rising up to shatter&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The lid that nailed them in the coffin of my unconscious,&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Shaking me with their shrieks,&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Piercing me from within,&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;They come to life&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;To force their way &lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Back to my consciousness,&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Torturing my soul again…&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;And I shiver&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;And I writhe,&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Wet fumes of emotions perspire - &lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Gasping for air&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;While fever takes over my being;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I lose control&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;As venom pierces out of me,&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Tearing itself out of my flesh.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;“Leave me!”&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt; screams my soul,&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;“You belonged to the past,&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;There’s no place for you now or ever after”&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;“Make room for life!” &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;my heart bellows;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;“I’m shrinking into extinction&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I need resuscitation,&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Not from poison, but from a savior.”&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;Now the last drop of toxin withdraws&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Like the demons did out of the leper, &lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;And the fever in me subsides;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I feel revival breathing inside me&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;As warm white fire sets my soul alight&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;And all the poisons of the past,&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;And all that I’ve felt that I shouldn’t have&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Absolve into an oblivion I do not see…&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/34752263-5480389020619974813?l=mindterrible.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/feeds/5480389020619974813/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=34752263&amp;postID=5480389020619974813&amp;isPopup=true' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/5480389020619974813'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/5480389020619974813'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/2007/05/catharsis.html' title='Catharsis'/><author><name>Daisy Tchiftjian</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06631095574952133805</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iFGlPmwmJHo/SMg4pJoDxfI/AAAAAAAAADA/dMwrpamCDW0/S220/PICT0013.JPG'/></author><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34752263.post-3536009564034031264</id><published>2007-05-23T22:28:00.001+02:00</published><updated>2008-09-06T21:54:14.827+02:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Poems'/><title type='text'>When The Ground Beneath You Shakes...</title><content type='html'>&lt;p  class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;When you feel hopelessly helpless, &lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;When the ground beneath your feet shakes, &lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p  class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;Close your eyes, grit your teeth, &lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Brace your legs and clench your fists…&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Face the force &lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;And let the waves pass through you&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;                  &lt;p  class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;Don’t fight &lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Nor cave in - &lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;Stand still -&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;Just hold on to yourself,&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Face every emotion - &lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;Stand still - &lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;Give in to yourself,&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Let everything pierce through your soul&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;        &lt;p  class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;‘Cause when they leave it&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Your holes will seal&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Never to tear again&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;              &lt;p  class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;For when you open your eyes&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;And look around at all that was destroyed&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;While the ground beneath your feet shook,&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;You will see yourself -&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The one who endured it all,&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The one whom nothing could destroy -&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;    &lt;p  class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;span style="" lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;The Invincible.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;span style=";font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"  &gt;&lt;em&gt;Copyright © 2007 Daisy Tchiftjian&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/34752263-3536009564034031264?l=mindterrible.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/feeds/3536009564034031264/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=34752263&amp;postID=3536009564034031264&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/3536009564034031264'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/3536009564034031264'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/2007/05/when-ground-beneathe-you-shakes.html' title='When The Ground Beneath You Shakes...'/><author><name>Daisy Tchiftjian</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06631095574952133805</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iFGlPmwmJHo/SMg4pJoDxfI/AAAAAAAAADA/dMwrpamCDW0/S220/PICT0013.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34752263.post-5758534385658180674</id><published>2007-04-15T13:26:00.000+02:00</published><updated>2007-04-15T13:37:42.805+02:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Macabre'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Musings'/><title type='text'>Fact</title><content type='html'>When browsing through articles of a magazine a few days ago, I came upon a caption that read:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;"Did you know that there are 206 bones in the adult human body and there are 300 in children (as they grow, some of the bones fuse together)."&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I wonder if we could have known that if children didn't die so young...&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/34752263-5758534385658180674?l=mindterrible.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/feeds/5758534385658180674/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=34752263&amp;postID=5758534385658180674&amp;isPopup=true' title='2 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/5758534385658180674'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/5758534385658180674'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/2007/04/fact.html' title='Fact'/><author><name>Daisy Tchiftjian</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06631095574952133805</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iFGlPmwmJHo/SMg4pJoDxfI/AAAAAAAAADA/dMwrpamCDW0/S220/PICT0013.JPG'/></author><thr:total>2</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34752263.post-4876582404624925317</id><published>2007-04-15T11:51:00.000+02:00</published><updated>2007-04-15T23:30:00.734+02:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Cynicism'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Musings'/><title type='text'>A Moment of Truth</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;"Here comes the moment of truth" &lt;/span&gt;we often hear people say...and not surprisingly, the sentence usually springs from the diplomatic mouths of politicians.&lt;br /&gt;What a hypocritical thing to say, and upon hearing it people get carried away with the suspense it creates, instead of seeing the mockery and disrespect of intelligence it veils.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;"Here comes the moment of truth"&lt;/span&gt;.  As if Truth should have a rendezvous in the first place.&lt;br /&gt;It seems to me it's not the moment of truth that comes, but WE go to it when we occasionally take vacation from lies...only when it's in our best interest in ourselves and our selfishness to do so.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;Copyright 2007 © Daisy Chiftjian&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/34752263-4876582404624925317?l=mindterrible.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/feeds/4876582404624925317/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=34752263&amp;postID=4876582404624925317&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/4876582404624925317'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/4876582404624925317'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/2007/04/here-comes-moment-of-truth-we-often.html' title='A Moment of Truth'/><author><name>Daisy Tchiftjian</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06631095574952133805</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iFGlPmwmJHo/SMg4pJoDxfI/AAAAAAAAADA/dMwrpamCDW0/S220/PICT0013.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34752263.post-740106287723324050</id><published>2007-04-11T21:13:00.000+02:00</published><updated>2007-04-11T21:55:56.943+02:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Poems'/><title type='text'>Carry On</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;By Ara DerMosessian&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-style: italic;font-family:trebuchet ms;" &gt;Dedicated to someone who never fails to make me smile...&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;In a chamber of velvet she lay&lt;/span&gt;&lt;o:p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;In her eternal slumber she prays&lt;/span&gt;&lt;o:p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;Her sweet face pale as snow&lt;/span&gt;&lt;o:p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:10;"  lang="EN-US" &gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;For my fading soul she prays&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;          &lt;p class="MsoNormal"  style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;span lang="EN-US"  style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;At the boundary of our two worlds&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;my spirit seeks salvation &lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Death! Come for me swift and sudden&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Save me from eternal damnation&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;          &lt;p class="MsoNormal"  style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;span lang="EN-US"  style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;As hope had died, so died my heart&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Never to feel again, never to love again&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Left alone to face the pain of deprivation&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Never to be with her again...&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;              &lt;p class="MsoNormal"  style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;span lang="EN-US"  style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;She spoke to me one last time&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Go! She said. Find the will to carry on!&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;For in life unseperated were we&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;And in death so we shall be&lt;o:p&gt; &lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;      &lt;p class="MsoNormal" style=""&gt;&lt;span style=";font-family:Tahoma;font-size:10;"  lang="EN-US" &gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;"&gt;As I said my last farewell &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;o:p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;"&gt;My soul bled sweet tears&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;o:p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;"&gt;For in her life she gave me hope&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;o:p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;"&gt;And in her death I found life&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style=""&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 85%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Tahoma;" lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;Copyright &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Tahoma;" lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;© &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Tahoma;" lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: 85%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;2007 Ara DerMosessian&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style=";font-family:Tahoma;font-size:10;"  lang="EN-US" &gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/34752263-740106287723324050?l=mindterrible.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/feeds/740106287723324050/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=34752263&amp;postID=740106287723324050&amp;isPopup=true' title='5 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/740106287723324050'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/740106287723324050'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/2007/04/carry-on.html' title='Carry On'/><author><name>Daisy Tchiftjian</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06631095574952133805</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iFGlPmwmJHo/SMg4pJoDxfI/AAAAAAAAADA/dMwrpamCDW0/S220/PICT0013.JPG'/></author><thr:total>5</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34752263.post-8926559624691761426</id><published>2007-04-07T20:47:00.000+02:00</published><updated>2007-04-07T21:17:51.430+02:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Poems'/><title type='text'>Happiness Stolen</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-style: italic;font-family:trebuchet ms;" &gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;by Ara DerMosessian&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;                                      &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style=";font-family:Tahoma;font-size:10;"  lang="EN-US" &gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;Looking in the mirror today&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I saw myself an old man&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;How the years had changed me&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;My face, my hair, my eyes&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The hollowness of the years&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Reflected right through them&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Had they been so empty&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;So devoid of the divine spark&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;That shines in the eyes of a bride&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;On her wedding night&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Had they been so fruitless &lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;That now here I was&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;With nothing but solitude for company&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Had they been so short&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;They couldn't accommodate for&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Nothing but my pursuit of&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Pleasure, riches, satisfaction...&lt;o:p&gt; &lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;                  &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style=";font-family:Tahoma;font-size:10;"  lang="EN-US" &gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;Flashback through timeless memories&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Searching for happiness lost&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Eyes wide open, senses keen&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Yet everywhere I searched &lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;People from my past kept screaming, &lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;shouting at me, kicking at me.&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;For those were the forgotten ones,&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The step stones in my path so full of peril…&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Yet somehow along the road, &lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Were left behind and forgotten…&lt;/span&gt; &lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;                            &lt;p class="MsoNormal"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style=";font-family:Tahoma;font-size:10;"  lang="EN-US" &gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;And then I came across her&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The obsession of my dreams, &lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The reason for my misery&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The one person who unbeknownst to her&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Sent me on a perilous journey &lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;and never expecting my return &lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Drowned herself in the sea&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;And there her ghost still lies&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Swimming in the cold waters&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Taunting my ravaged soul&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;To follow her in eternity&lt;o:p&gt; &lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;                                      &lt;p class="MsoNormal" style=""&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span style=";font-family:Tahoma;font-size:10;"  lang="EN-US" &gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;span&gt;My whole existence screamed for her&lt;/span&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span&gt;Yet I never let love dwell in my heart&lt;/span&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span&gt;For as sad as life may be&lt;/span&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span&gt;It sure was sadder to love her&lt;/span&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span&gt;Yet another’s pride and joy,&lt;/span&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span&gt;Another’s beacon of hope&lt;/span&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span&gt;Another’s lover she may be…&lt;/span&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;span&gt;And now as I stand at the shore&lt;/span&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span&gt;The twilight reflects in the sea&lt;/span&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span&gt;Reminding me of her&lt;/span&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span&gt;And a love that never can be&lt;/span&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span&gt;I look back at my life&lt;/span&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span&gt;Then back at the sea&lt;/span&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span&gt;Wait for me my love&lt;/span&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span&gt;For soon we shall meet again&lt;/span&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span&gt;Embraced in an eternal caress&lt;/span&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span&gt;You, me and the dark depths of the sea...&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;p class="MsoNormal" style=""&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=";font-family:Tahoma;font-size:100%;"  lang="EN-US" &gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="MsoNormal" style=""&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;span style=";font-family:Tahoma;"  lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;Copyright &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=";font-family:Tahoma;"  lang="EN-US"&gt;&lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;© &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=";font-family:Tahoma;font-size:10;"  lang="EN-US" &gt;&lt;o:p&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;2007 Ara DerMosessian&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/o:p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;  &lt;span style="font-style: italic;font-family:trebuchet ms;" &gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/34752263-8926559624691761426?l=mindterrible.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/feeds/8926559624691761426/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=34752263&amp;postID=8926559624691761426&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/8926559624691761426'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/8926559624691761426'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/2007/04/happiness-stolen.html' title='Happiness Stolen'/><author><name>Daisy Tchiftjian</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06631095574952133805</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iFGlPmwmJHo/SMg4pJoDxfI/AAAAAAAAADA/dMwrpamCDW0/S220/PICT0013.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34752263.post-3107198130492408298</id><published>2007-04-02T10:37:00.000+02:00</published><updated>2007-04-02T10:45:11.993+02:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Musings'/><title type='text'>Love is...</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style=""&gt;&lt;span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;"  &gt;&lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;"Love does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking together in the same direction."&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;—&lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;Antoine de Saint-Exupéry&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;...&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;That's Harmony, not love. Love is gazing each other if not for, then &lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;despite &lt;/span&gt;the differences.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt;&lt;span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"  &gt;&lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;Copyright © 2007 Daisy Chiftjian&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style=""&gt;&lt;span style="font-style: italic;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/34752263-3107198130492408298?l=mindterrible.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/feeds/3107198130492408298/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=34752263&amp;postID=3107198130492408298&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/3107198130492408298'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/3107198130492408298'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/2007/04/love-is.html' title='Love is...'/><author><name>Daisy Tchiftjian</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06631095574952133805</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iFGlPmwmJHo/SMg4pJoDxfI/AAAAAAAAADA/dMwrpamCDW0/S220/PICT0013.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34752263.post-3323202354539096764</id><published>2007-03-17T02:06:00.000+02:00</published><updated>2007-03-17T02:09:55.525+02:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Links'/><title type='text'>Campaign for War Children</title><content type='html'>I encountered this link while browsing for non-mainstream artists...&lt;br /&gt;It contains a touching clip about war children being recruited for military operations at very young ages...&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="http://warchild.mybrilliantbeast.com/"&gt;http://warchild.mybrilliantbeast.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/34752263-3323202354539096764?l=mindterrible.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/feeds/3323202354539096764/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=34752263&amp;postID=3323202354539096764&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/3323202354539096764'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/3323202354539096764'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/2007/03/campaign-for-war-children.html' title='Campaign for War Children'/><author><name>Daisy Tchiftjian</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06631095574952133805</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iFGlPmwmJHo/SMg4pJoDxfI/AAAAAAAAADA/dMwrpamCDW0/S220/PICT0013.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34752263.post-2392045993504488906</id><published>2007-02-27T01:08:00.000+02:00</published><updated>2007-02-27T12:36:29.110+02:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Poems'/><title type='text'>White Cabinet</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;The inside of my white cabinet&lt;br /&gt;Embodies everything that I am;&lt;br /&gt;It’s a mess that’s locked away&lt;br /&gt;Like the secrets in my brain.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Books and notebooks&lt;br /&gt;Are not the only content,&lt;br /&gt;Letters, notes and artworks,&lt;br /&gt;Gifts, cards and pictures,&lt;br /&gt;My past, my present,&lt;br /&gt;And maybe even future,&lt;br /&gt;Are all part of the scenery&lt;br /&gt;Like the memories in my mind,&lt;br /&gt;The thoughts that dwell inside&lt;br /&gt;And feelings I try to hide.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Like the enigma that’s my being&lt;br /&gt;And which my mind keeps concealed,&lt;br /&gt;The inside of my cabinet&lt;br /&gt;Is a sight not to be seen.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Copyright © 2007 Daisy Tchiftjian&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/34752263-2392045993504488906?l=mindterrible.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/feeds/2392045993504488906/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=34752263&amp;postID=2392045993504488906&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/2392045993504488906'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/2392045993504488906'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/2007/02/white-cabinet.html' title='White Cabinet'/><author><name>Daisy Tchiftjian</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06631095574952133805</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iFGlPmwmJHo/SMg4pJoDxfI/AAAAAAAAADA/dMwrpamCDW0/S220/PICT0013.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34752263.post-5018682199733822038</id><published>2007-02-23T21:29:00.000+02:00</published><updated>2007-02-24T09:56:13.098+02:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Poems'/><title type='text'>In The Background</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;Sailing through my family photographs&lt;br /&gt;Used to be my favorite childhood hobby;&lt;br /&gt;To behold savored instances from the past,&lt;br /&gt;Whether they did or didn’t include me.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;There’s one picture that I liked most,&lt;br /&gt;Of my then five-year-old brother,&lt;br /&gt;Looking angelic and so enviably pretty&lt;br /&gt;That I’d boast to my friends that it was me!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In that photo, my mother sits in the background;&lt;br /&gt;Her part is darker but her ardently glowing grin -&lt;br /&gt;Which she directs at her smiling little son -&lt;br /&gt;Is simply far too bright to be left unseen.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Twenty-eight years after that picture&lt;br /&gt;I now happen to look at another.&lt;br /&gt;There’s my nephew who was then one year old,&lt;br /&gt;And behind him laughing, his toy I hold.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;My mother’s still grinning in the background,&lt;br /&gt;Her gaze, this time, directed at her grandson.&lt;br /&gt;Her defiant grin - still bright, still lively, still wide -&lt;br /&gt;Always keeps setting my own spirit wild.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Eternity steals moments with these shots, but I -&lt;br /&gt;I wish to snatch Infinity from the grip of Time&lt;br /&gt;For I fear, one day, to look at a picture of my Child&lt;br /&gt;And not see my mother’s defiant grin in the background…&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Copyright © 2007 Daisy Tchiftjian&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/34752263-5018682199733822038?l=mindterrible.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/feeds/5018682199733822038/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=34752263&amp;postID=5018682199733822038&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/5018682199733822038'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/5018682199733822038'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/2007/02/in-background.html' title='In The Background'/><author><name>Daisy Tchiftjian</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06631095574952133805</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iFGlPmwmJHo/SMg4pJoDxfI/AAAAAAAAADA/dMwrpamCDW0/S220/PICT0013.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34752263.post-8798813512695674989</id><published>2007-02-21T10:08:00.000+02:00</published><updated>2007-02-23T21:35:14.138+02:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Mixed Culture'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Poems'/><title type='text'>A Feeling</title><content type='html'>&lt;em&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;A feeling surrounds my awakening &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;this morning, like a sea &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;all around the island of my bed. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;A feeling of irretrievable loss &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;like an emptied bottle of wine, &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;a letter dropped into the mailbox, &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;like a present &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;once it is opened and becomes a thing, &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;like a woman &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;once she’s sure she’s loved.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;A feeling &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;more strange than sad, &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;debilitating &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;rather than depressing &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;like a black hole inside &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;swallowing all that mattered &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;and light. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;The feeling that this morning &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;someone as near &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;as a sister-beloved-friend and as remote &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;as any stranger &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;someone &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;dreaming of me &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;died.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:100%;"&gt;Leonardo Alishan (1951-2005)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Born in Tehran to Armenian parents, Alishan moved to the US in the early '70's for graduate studies, after which he taught Persian literature and comparative literature in the University of Utah. He has two published poetry collections: "Dancing Barefoot on Broken Glass" and "Through a Dewdrop". He died in a tragic fire incident at his home in Utah, on January 9, 2005.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/34752263-8798813512695674989?l=mindterrible.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/feeds/8798813512695674989/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=34752263&amp;postID=8798813512695674989&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/8798813512695674989'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/8798813512695674989'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/2007/02/feeling.html' title='A Feeling'/><author><name>Daisy Tchiftjian</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06631095574952133805</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iFGlPmwmJHo/SMg4pJoDxfI/AAAAAAAAADA/dMwrpamCDW0/S220/PICT0013.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34752263.post-8605521100246929359</id><published>2007-02-20T19:09:00.000+02:00</published><updated>2007-02-20T19:21:37.009+02:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Quotes'/><title type='text'></title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;People don't know what they deserve: they either underestimate it or overestimate it.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Copyright © 2007 Daisy Chitfjian&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/34752263-8605521100246929359?l=mindterrible.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/feeds/8605521100246929359/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=34752263&amp;postID=8605521100246929359&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/8605521100246929359'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/8605521100246929359'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/2007/02/people-dont-know-what-they-deserve-they.html' title=''/><author><name>Daisy Tchiftjian</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06631095574952133805</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iFGlPmwmJHo/SMg4pJoDxfI/AAAAAAAAADA/dMwrpamCDW0/S220/PICT0013.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34752263.post-7053091422145574653</id><published>2007-02-08T23:34:00.000+02:00</published><updated>2007-02-04T22:47:23.011+02:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Mixed Culture'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Poems'/><title type='text'>A poem from the Inside Cover of "Splendor Solis"</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;I'll show you the door when you decide to hold on to all that you've lost.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;You see, all this is nothing when she comes and tears you apart.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Of course, all this is nothing if you hold the key to her heart.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;I told you I am your saviour and your truth.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;When you get down on the floor,&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;I will steal the soul from you if there is no truth.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Let's end this lie tonight.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;When the thirteenth apostle is knocking at my door,&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;A new sun is rising in the east. &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Did I tell you that?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;It's true. &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;So sing thorughout the streets and sing throughout the night.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Go and tell the people my soul is aflight.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Although you might save me from all these emotions that are filling my mind,&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;All of your healers are still hurting my kind.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;I will watch what the rain blows in,&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;And I will continue to tell people that a climb to the holy land&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Is a slide to the devil's hand.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Something is going to change these times and I'll watch them fade away.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;So if they want to keep me hung on their crosses&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;They'll have to find some bigger nails.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;I will continue to walk these streets like a doubting Thomas&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;And I'll swear at saints when they pass me by.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Nothing is pure when everything is tainted.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Where am I going to go when I die?&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;So you see, I'll try to let you go and I'll try very hard to forget.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;I don't think my thought will subside, &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;I guess I'm just losing my mind.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;I'm walking alone, I'm standing in the sun.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;I'm thinking about my life and how it's barely just begun.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;I want to run.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;- The Tea Party&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/34752263-7053091422145574653?l=mindterrible.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/feeds/7053091422145574653/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=34752263&amp;postID=7053091422145574653&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/7053091422145574653'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/7053091422145574653'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/2007/02/poem-from-inside-cover-of-splendor.html' title='A poem from the Inside Cover of &quot;Splendor Solis&quot;'/><author><name>Daisy Tchiftjian</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06631095574952133805</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iFGlPmwmJHo/SMg4pJoDxfI/AAAAAAAAADA/dMwrpamCDW0/S220/PICT0013.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34752263.post-6580775353197093574</id><published>2007-02-01T22:09:00.000+02:00</published><updated>2007-02-28T12:05:33.167+02:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Quotes'/><title type='text'></title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;God gave women PMS to establish a balance with the inconsistency found in men.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;color:#ccffff;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Copyright © 2007 Daisy Tchiftjian&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/34752263-6580775353197093574?l=mindterrible.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/feeds/6580775353197093574/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=34752263&amp;postID=6580775353197093574&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/6580775353197093574'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/6580775353197093574'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/2007/02/god-gave-women-pms-to-establish-balance.html' title=''/><author><name>Daisy Tchiftjian</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06631095574952133805</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iFGlPmwmJHo/SMg4pJoDxfI/AAAAAAAAADA/dMwrpamCDW0/S220/PICT0013.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34752263.post-1819541445324652562</id><published>2007-02-01T21:50:00.000+02:00</published><updated>2007-02-28T12:04:54.049+02:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Musings'/><title type='text'>Unrequieted....</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;I wonder if it’s ever possible that one day the only issues in the world would center around health only …and not power. Not politics. Not finance. Not wealth nor poverty. Not racism. Not religion. Not wars and genocides. Not inequality. Perhaps even not any other kind of crimes….&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I wonder if there can exist a world where the word “oppression”, its synonyms, and every related word to it will cease to exist in the minds of the living generations, become incomprehensible, unnecessary and ancient.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Perhaps one day cultural diversities and social differences would be celebrated and not perceived as a threat to one’s own.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Perhaps one day the big fish will leave the small fish alone. Perhaps it will help them become as big themselves, or simply make itself as humble instead of becoming more gluttonous.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I wonder if it’s possible that humans will ever be altruistic … and not selfish.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I wonder if life can exist without the need to struggle for Survival…but with the gusto to Live.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Then I wonder if it’s really altruistic – and not selfish - to harbor these illusions in my mind.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;color:#ccffff;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Copyright © 2007 Daisy Tchiftjian&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/34752263-1819541445324652562?l=mindterrible.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/feeds/1819541445324652562/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=34752263&amp;postID=1819541445324652562&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/1819541445324652562'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/1819541445324652562'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/2007/02/unrequieted.html' title='Unrequieted....'/><author><name>Daisy Tchiftjian</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06631095574952133805</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iFGlPmwmJHo/SMg4pJoDxfI/AAAAAAAAADA/dMwrpamCDW0/S220/PICT0013.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34752263.post-8012833116135772761</id><published>2007-01-16T12:48:00.000+02:00</published><updated>2007-02-28T12:04:31.501+02:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Quotes'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Musings'/><title type='text'></title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;Perhaps life would be better if we treated people for what they want to be, rather than what they are.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;color:#ccffff;"&gt;Copyright © 2007 Daisy Tchiftjian&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/34752263-8012833116135772761?l=mindterrible.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/feeds/8012833116135772761/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=34752263&amp;postID=8012833116135772761&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/8012833116135772761'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/8012833116135772761'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/2007/01/perhaps-life-would-be-better-if-we.html' title=''/><author><name>Daisy Tchiftjian</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06631095574952133805</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iFGlPmwmJHo/SMg4pJoDxfI/AAAAAAAAADA/dMwrpamCDW0/S220/PICT0013.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34752263.post-845419882902405791</id><published>2007-01-11T21:20:00.000+02:00</published><updated>2007-01-11T21:38:29.900+02:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Poems'/><title type='text'>*    *    *    *      -  By Ara D.S. ft. Daisy Ch.</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;Racing for the Future one step at a time &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;Like a clockwork train set upon the line...&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;From dawn of life to light's demise &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;We work the land, we seek our prize .&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;With promise of the Future and lessons of the past &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;We pave our way to rest at last.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;Feelings of joy, feelings of sorrow, &lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;Feelings of ecstacy, feelings of pain &lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;And feelings of everything in between &lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;Fill the emptiness within the soul...&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Men have always come to pass&lt;br /&gt;So will the Future become the past&lt;br /&gt;When the fall of the sandwatch's grains&lt;br /&gt;Marks the seconds collapsed.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;The sweet smell of the damp ground &lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;Signs the proof of life's presence &lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;While the wind blows through the sand &lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;Searching for the meaning of existence.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;And As winter turns to spring,&lt;br /&gt;We shall learn to live at last,&lt;br /&gt;With the vigor of our offspring&lt;br /&gt;And memories of the past...&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Building the Future one step at a time&lt;br /&gt;Like a clockwork train set upon the line&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/34752263-845419882902405791?l=mindterrible.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/feeds/845419882902405791/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=34752263&amp;postID=845419882902405791&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/845419882902405791'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/845419882902405791'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/2007/01/by-ara-ds-ft-daisy-ch.html' title='*    *    *    *      -  By Ara D.S. ft. Daisy Ch.'/><author><name>Daisy Tchiftjian</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06631095574952133805</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iFGlPmwmJHo/SMg4pJoDxfI/AAAAAAAAADA/dMwrpamCDW0/S220/PICT0013.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34752263.post-8084666388615355761</id><published>2006-12-14T02:39:00.000+02:00</published><updated>2007-02-28T12:03:53.974+02:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Quotes'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Poems'/><title type='text'>Difference</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;Love me not because I think like you,&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"&gt;But because I think the way I do...&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;color:#ccffff;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Copyright © 2006 Daisy Tchiftjian&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/34752263-8084666388615355761?l=mindterrible.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/feeds/8084666388615355761/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=34752263&amp;postID=8084666388615355761&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/8084666388615355761'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/8084666388615355761'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/2006/12/difference.html' title='Difference'/><author><name>Daisy Tchiftjian</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06631095574952133805</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iFGlPmwmJHo/SMg4pJoDxfI/AAAAAAAAADA/dMwrpamCDW0/S220/PICT0013.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34752263.post-5675135515896777153</id><published>2006-12-02T17:48:00.000+02:00</published><updated>2007-02-28T12:03:26.025+02:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Poems'/><title type='text'>Fable</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;In the Land where windfalls of wonders hap,&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;There a wild Lion and a tamed Deer met;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;And so an unforeseen marvel befell&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;When Lion and Deer for each other fell.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;As time moved along their lives&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;Their love started to shake with rage,&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;For Lion and Deer found themselves&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;'Rousing in each other outrage.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;The causes were as clear as fresh air:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;Their differences were too much to bear.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;He was invincible, a mountain dire,&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;She was fragile as a flickering fire.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;Her endurance worn out, the deer ran away,&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;She lived on her own, fighting her dismay.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;But life taught her to become unwavering,&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;Thus she overcame her tears and suffering.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;One fine day, Lion and Deer met again by fate,&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;And the Lion saw how gracefully she'd changed,&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;While the Deer, reborn, she looked on him anew,&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;And finally realized the "Lion" was a deer too...&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="color:#ccffff;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;Copyright © 2003 Daisy Tchiftjian&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;color:#ccffff;"&gt;Written in summer 2003&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/34752263-5675135515896777153?l=mindterrible.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/feeds/5675135515896777153/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=34752263&amp;postID=5675135515896777153&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/5675135515896777153'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/5675135515896777153'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/2006/12/fable.html' title='Fable'/><author><name>Daisy Tchiftjian</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06631095574952133805</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iFGlPmwmJHo/SMg4pJoDxfI/AAAAAAAAADA/dMwrpamCDW0/S220/PICT0013.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34752263.post-3475185238810286009</id><published>2006-11-19T13:22:00.000+02:00</published><updated>2007-02-28T12:02:57.443+02:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Quotes'/><title type='text'>Quote</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;Exceptions kill Idealism.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;color:#ccffff;"&gt;Copyright © 2006 Daisy Tchiftjian&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/34752263-3475185238810286009?l=mindterrible.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/feeds/3475185238810286009/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=34752263&amp;postID=3475185238810286009&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/3475185238810286009'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/3475185238810286009'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/2006/11/quote_19.html' title='Quote'/><author><name>Daisy Tchiftjian</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06631095574952133805</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iFGlPmwmJHo/SMg4pJoDxfI/AAAAAAAAADA/dMwrpamCDW0/S220/PICT0013.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34752263.post-900042700156566881</id><published>2006-11-14T09:24:00.000+02:00</published><updated>2007-02-28T12:02:26.334+02:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Poems'/><title type='text'>...</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;I want to go where no human has gone,&lt;br /&gt;To touch down where no one has stepped on;&lt;br /&gt;Not for grandiose, triumph and mighty ambitions,&lt;br /&gt;But to see what a place is like that’s not corrupted by humans.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;color:#ccffff;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Copyright © 2006 Daisy Tchiftjian&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/34752263-900042700156566881?l=mindterrible.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/feeds/900042700156566881/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=34752263&amp;postID=900042700156566881&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/900042700156566881'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/900042700156566881'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/2006/11/blog-post.html' title='...'/><author><name>Daisy Tchiftjian</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06631095574952133805</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iFGlPmwmJHo/SMg4pJoDxfI/AAAAAAAAADA/dMwrpamCDW0/S220/PICT0013.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34752263.post-6997760601597286375</id><published>2006-11-14T01:16:00.000+02:00</published><updated>2007-02-28T12:01:57.790+02:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Poems'/><title type='text'>The Dance</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;“This Big Hush” plays in my ears&lt;br /&gt;Its bewitching melody making me reach into my depths;&lt;br /&gt;Slowly I start to become undone&lt;br /&gt;As I decompose to identify every emotion …&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Closing my eyes, I trace the fence around my soul…&lt;br /&gt;Pain is tugging at my mind fighting for its survival,&lt;br /&gt;Trying to resurface from its evasion,&lt;br /&gt;As it struggles to embrace my being…&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Holding a burning torch,&lt;br /&gt;It takes my hand and escorts me&lt;br /&gt;To where the agitated fervors&lt;br /&gt;Waited for the revival of their destiny…&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Anger was the first to reach out,&lt;br /&gt;Then Longing was soon to follow up;&lt;br /&gt;Injury didn’t stay behind&lt;br /&gt;Neither did Sadness nor Grief…&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;My back heavy with these burdens, Pain pulled me back to itself;&lt;br /&gt;It twirled me around in a swirling dance&lt;br /&gt;Till I felt weightlessness in the heaviness&lt;br /&gt;And in the light I saw the darkness…&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;color:#ccffff;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Copyright © 2006 Daisy Tchiftjian&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/34752263-6997760601597286375?l=mindterrible.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/feeds/6997760601597286375/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=34752263&amp;postID=6997760601597286375&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/6997760601597286375'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/6997760601597286375'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/2006/11/dance.html' title='The Dance'/><author><name>Daisy Tchiftjian</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06631095574952133805</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iFGlPmwmJHo/SMg4pJoDxfI/AAAAAAAAADA/dMwrpamCDW0/S220/PICT0013.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34752263.post-7197329534360917408</id><published>2006-11-08T20:12:00.000+02:00</published><updated>2007-02-28T12:01:15.757+02:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Quotes'/><title type='text'>Quote:</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-size:130%;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:100%;"&gt;It's not the humans that I don't trust, but human nature.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;color:#ccffff;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;color:#ccffff;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Copyright © 2006 Daisy Tchiftjian&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/34752263-7197329534360917408?l=mindterrible.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/feeds/7197329534360917408/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=34752263&amp;postID=7197329534360917408&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/7197329534360917408'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/7197329534360917408'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/2006/11/quote.html' title='Quote:'/><author><name>Daisy Tchiftjian</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06631095574952133805</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iFGlPmwmJHo/SMg4pJoDxfI/AAAAAAAAADA/dMwrpamCDW0/S220/PICT0013.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34752263.post-116273195662786380</id><published>2006-11-05T15:00:00.000+02:00</published><updated>2007-02-28T11:58:54.597+02:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Poems'/><title type='text'>You vs Me</title><content type='html'>To be or not to be –&lt;br /&gt;That is not the question&lt;br /&gt;When it comes to my confusion&lt;br /&gt;And feelings of anxiety.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Considerate of others’ sensitivities,&lt;br /&gt;I am being suffocated&lt;br /&gt;Silently accepting everyone&lt;br /&gt;And everything…&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;No matter what&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Just to give&lt;br /&gt;Just to love&lt;br /&gt;Just to please&lt;br /&gt;Just to relieve&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;But my heart shrinks&lt;br /&gt;And my soul swells&lt;br /&gt;I feel it tearing to shreds&lt;br /&gt;Bleeding the color of torment…&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;How can I be unselfish&lt;br /&gt;Without hurting myself?&lt;br /&gt;How can I be selfish&lt;br /&gt;And not hurt anyone else?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Yet at the end of the day&lt;br /&gt;When it really comes down to it&lt;br /&gt;No one can really hurt you&lt;br /&gt;More than you can hurt yourself.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;And I tell you&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;… Do unto yourself&lt;br /&gt;As you would have others do unto you;&lt;br /&gt;…Love yourself&lt;br /&gt;As your neighbour loves you.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;color:#ccffff;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Copyright © 2006 Daisy Tchiftjian&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/34752263-116273195662786380?l=mindterrible.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/feeds/116273195662786380/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=34752263&amp;postID=116273195662786380&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/116273195662786380'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/116273195662786380'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/2006/11/you-vs-me.html' title='You vs Me'/><author><name>Daisy Tchiftjian</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06631095574952133805</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iFGlPmwmJHo/SMg4pJoDxfI/AAAAAAAAADA/dMwrpamCDW0/S220/PICT0013.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34752263.post-116179223274082426</id><published>2006-10-25T17:10:00.000+02:00</published><updated>2007-02-28T11:57:54.177+02:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Poems'/><title type='text'>To My Sunshine</title><content type='html'>&lt;div align="center"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;Cruising inside my sentiments of longings&lt;br /&gt;I leaf through the photos of the recent past,&lt;br /&gt;And feelings of yearning take over me,&lt;br /&gt;And the need to trade the pictures with reality…&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;What I wouldn’t give to recapture the moment &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="center"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;When his baby hand grabbed hold of my finger, &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="center"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;To see his wide smile light up his face and my heart &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="center"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;While he slept and dreamt as if of angels… &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div align="center"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="center"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="center"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="center"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="center"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;What I wouldn’t give to have been there&lt;br /&gt;During the years I’ve missed and will miss again,&lt;br /&gt;To watch him grow, and live in wonder&lt;br /&gt;As he discovers life and I discover him...&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div align="center"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="center"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="center"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="center"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="center"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="center"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&gt;&gt;Daisy Tchiftjian&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="center"&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="center"&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="center"&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="center"&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="center"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="center"&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="center"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="center"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="center"&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="center"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="center"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="center"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="center"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="center"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="center"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;p align="center"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/1551/3472/320/Picture%20400.2.jpg" border="0" /&gt; &lt;p align="center"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;To my Nephew...&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align="center"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:85%;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p align="left"&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;color:#ccffff;"&gt;Copyright © 2006 Daisy Tchiftjian&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/34752263-116179223274082426?l=mindterrible.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/feeds/116179223274082426/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=34752263&amp;postID=116179223274082426&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/116179223274082426'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/116179223274082426'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/2006/10/to-my-sunshine.html' title='To My Sunshine'/><author><name>Daisy Tchiftjian</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06631095574952133805</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iFGlPmwmJHo/SMg4pJoDxfI/AAAAAAAAADA/dMwrpamCDW0/S220/PICT0013.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34752263.post-115987692932530944</id><published>2006-10-03T13:58:00.000+02:00</published><updated>2007-02-28T11:56:32.360+02:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='Poems'/><title type='text'>The Answer</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"&gt;A question that’s asked to me&lt;br /&gt;By everyone – one time or another –&lt;br /&gt;A question of philosophy, a question of wonder;&lt;br /&gt;A question to which I never knew the answer.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;I’m asked: “What is it that you want from this life?”&lt;br /&gt;Only now do I realize I want nothing more than itself:&lt;br /&gt;With its past, the present, and the future,&lt;br /&gt;The stars, the sky, the beings and nature.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;But above all there’s one thing I want from the universe:&lt;br /&gt;And that’s for my existence to make a difference.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;color:#ccffff;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;&gt;&gt;Copyright © 2006 Daisy Tchiftjian&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/34752263-115987692932530944?l=mindterrible.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/feeds/115987692932530944/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=34752263&amp;postID=115987692932530944&amp;isPopup=true' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/115987692932530944'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/34752263/posts/default/115987692932530944'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://mindterrible.blogspot.com/2006/10/answer.html' title='The Answer'/><author><name>Daisy Tchiftjian</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/06631095574952133805</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='32' height='24' src='http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_iFGlPmwmJHo/SMg4pJoDxfI/AAAAAAAAADA/dMwrpamCDW0/S220/PICT0013.JPG'/></author><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry></feed>
