Dear Blog Readers
Just a brief note to say that Shaista has been admitted to hospital again, and may not be able to post for a while. She asked me to leave this message on her behalf.
Please say hello and leave your messages. They all help. I will read them to her when I can.
Many thanks and I hope life is treating you gently wherever you are.
Rizwan
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Email Shaista or comment below (scroll to the bottom of the comments and choose the Name/URL option)
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About Me
- Shaista
- I live a meditative life in a green village in England. I was diagnosed with Lupus when I was 18 and some of my poetry writes itself in response to living with such a peculiar, demanding and life-altering illness. And some of it is about love longing hope birdsong waiting for spring... I write about freedom. And heroes. I am often and very easily inspired!
THE GRADUATE
Featured post
HINENI, HINENI
הנני A few years ago, Leonard Cohen released a song on his 82nd birthday. 'You Want It Darker' is in English but for the rep...
finally, and sadly, finished
Nina Riggs' memoir is so beautiful, and feels like a friend. I read her slowly, knowing she isn't alive and yet very much alive in her words...
Just Read (and Recommend)
The Vegetarian by Han Kang, Man Booker prize winner, and an extraordinary tale of rebellion.
ALSO THIS...
Ocean's poetry has travelled seas with me... the ideal poetry book for travels across Asia. I even nearly made it to Vietnam this year!
Recommended Read
Terese Marie Mailhot's prose that reads like poetry... an indigenous American Indian woman's truth telling.
WU FENG ROAD
The art and heart work of my beloved Jeanne-ming Brantingham-Hayes.
My Mother's Work
Dr Tayabali's Art
A lifetime selection of Dad's oils, watercolours and pastels...
RECOMMENDED READING
LOVED
Utterly absorbing - the story of kung fu nuns in Nepal, young girls seeking refuge in Burma, this is a feminist tale for modern times.
LOVED
Ann Patchett's memoir of her friendship with the poet Lucy Grealy. I was gripped, and for the first time in the longest time, ignored my protesting eyes and read it in one day. Beautiful.
CAMBRIDGE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER CHRIS BOLAND
Cambridge wedding photographer Chris Boland creates worlds of beauty here.
WHEN PIGLET ASKED POOH
Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind. 'Pooh?' he whispered. 'Yes, Piglet?' 'Nothing,' said Piglet, taking Pooh's hand. 'I just wanted to be sure of you.'
MONK WALKING
Life waits patiently for true heroes - Thich Nhat Hanh.
MALALA
A HANDBOOK FOR LIVING
in pursuit of a room of my own...
There was a star riding through clouds one night, and I said to the star, 'Consume me' - Virginia Woolf
NECESSARY READING
EATING POETRY by Mark Strand
Ink runs from the corners of my mouth. There is no happiness like mine. I have been eating poetry.
KINDNESS by Naomi Shihab Nye
Before you know what kindness really is, you must lose things, feel the future dissolve in a moment, like salt in a weakened broth.What you held in your hand, what you counted and carefully saved, all this must go so you know how desolate the landscape can be between the regions of kindness.
Breathing with Thich Nhat Hanh
peace meeting peace
thay and the lama
ON SCIENCE AND HOPE
Faith is a Fine Invention When Gentlemen Can See - But Microscopes are Prudent In an Emergency - Emily Dickinson
Lady Murasaki Shikibu
Someone passes, And while I wonder if it is he, The midnight moon is covered with clouds.
women for women international
Somaly mam - illumined hero
Have you heard of Somaly Mam? She is Cambodian, survived slavery, and transforms the lives of young girls every moment she lives and breathes.
I keep my guru in my heart, and Gandhi in my head.
Tenzin Tsundue is a Tibetan poet and activist, currently residing in exile, in Dharamsala.
Strengthened by Frida Kahlo
“I leave you my portrait so that you will have my presence all the days and nights that I am away from you.”
Une Envie de Sel
The Unbearable Lightness of being Q... and her family by Maia Chavez Larkin
Blog Like No One's Reading
Agnes'_Pages_, one of my favourite places to travel.
it is only with the heart that one can see rightly
What is essential is invisible to the eye
rumi days
Dr Karen Woo, the softly spoken British humanitarian aid worker, who was killed in Afghanistan last year. She was a dancer for years before realising she could not truly help be a changemaker through ballet.
macK's attic
A place I draw inspiration from. My happy place :)
from Catherine at A Thousand Clapping Hands
Sent when I was at my worst in hospital, this was like a balloon filled with hope :)
A Year With Rilke
Daily readings of the maestro, by Ruth and Lorenzo...
26 comments:
I am thinking of you Shaista and sending you lots of love and best wishes. I hope that you will be home again soon. Many blessings dear friend. You are in my prayers.
Catherine
I am sorry to hear this. Please be sure she has beautiful things to look at and poetry to read.
I used a website, lef.org
to get the best help for my medical conditions. I HIGHLY recommend it. It has the cutting edge research gathered and the most recommended treatments for each disease.
Get Well Soon!
Big BIG hugs my dear Shai. Sending you all my love and Rambini-ness!! Miss ya and take care,
Rhianna
Shaista, get well soon, so you'll be able to send me a note soon. I'd love to hear from you.
Nina, the bad influence... ;)
Each day is a gift.
Let your gift shine
each day.
Art is calling you,
the stars are twinkling
to get a smile on
your face
ever so slightly.
So pick up your brush
your pencil
to express the freedom
of your mind.
You're in my thoughts and prayers, dear Shaista.
Dear Shaista,
I wish you great love and great strength. You have our prayers.
Regards,
Muznah
I wish you better, shaista, you're greatly missed.
Greetings from London.
Shaista,
I am a friend of Rizwan's and wanted to send you my best wishes and hope that you feel better soon. I know you have a very loving and close family to give you strength.
I have read your poetry and think it is beautiful and inspiring.
All the best,
David
Hey, Shaista. Really sorry to hear that you got admitted to hospital again. It's hard to imagine what you are going through but I really wish you all the best.
Life in Japan is getting a bit tougher with the recession but I'm still enjoying it. Will be back in England in April so hope I get to see you then.
I'll be chanting for you!
Noel
Shaista,
We don't know you personally, but judging by your inspirational and beautiful poetry, it is our loss that this is so.
May you find the strength you need to get through this difficult time with the love and support that surrounds you from your family and friends.
Thinking of you
Andrew and Mel
Dear Shaista
Sorry to hear that you are in hospital. We hope that you get out soon and will start blogging again. I am so glad that I discovered your blog!
We are well, waiting for you to come and visit us.
I am praying for you and Aditya is thinking lots of positive of thoughts.
Lots of love
Soph and Aditya
Dearest Shaista,
I am sad to hear that you have been admitted to hospital. I have not met you in so many years, but from what Rizwan tells me, you are quite the fighter. I am sure you will fight this as well and recover soon ehough.
My thoughts and prayers are with you!
Much Love,
Rhea
Hi Shaista,
Rizwan recently told me about a blog you had filled with poems and touching thoughts from your highly courageous, spirited flight in life.
I've known DJ Riza, a true Dappa (now if ever there was a word in the dictionary with a worthy and meaningful definition, it's this one), since University (1998).
It's an honour to know Rizwan and through the years has privately shown his deepest desire for your continual wellness, and I know is always there through your tough times. If ever I needed a male companion through the highs and lows he'd be my man. He's a living legend.
Shaista, only knowing the medical implications to Lupus through my wife, who's a dedicated ICU children's nurse and of course through Google search, my dedicated brain. Mechanically Lupus is obviously so terrifying when it sporadically captures you, and losing days of stolen magic each day must be so so tough. I hope the dark days go quickly and the light deservedly brings you back with ease...
Myself and my wife, have both read your journey in poetry - it's clearly touched a lot of hearts and triggered many clear thoughts of others, including ours.
Shaista, although living in Australia (although don't tell my parents I'm living in Australia, they'd be very angry), we may never meet but to read your thoughts online gets my Google brain emotions rolling. We'll continue to send our positive energies down the fat internet pipe and may they charge through your fingertips as you type....
We wish your fight with flight be strong and a journey we can all continue to share online for so much longer.
Love and live forever,
Croc-a-Dougal-Dundee.x
Dearest Shaita,
I just wanted to thank you for your beautiful words & thoughts and for opening yourself up to so many people.
Riz is one of my friends here in London and mentioned that you had a blog that was worth reading. I did not expect to be moved to tears by your incredible strength, tenacity and beautiful, beautiful heart.
It's obvious that you have reached many with your writing. Giving others hope and courage and allowing people like me to put a face, a life, a soul to this condition, rather than mere medical definitions.
Thank you for opening my eyes, opening my heart and allowing me to take a glimpse inside the mind of a stunningly talented young woman.
Get well soon, the birds and trees miss you
Joelle
life and world are better with people like you, riz, and sure your sister shaista, even that i haven't meet her yet
Hey Shaista,
Your poems were very touching. i feel like i know about you through them.
take care and get well soon
Hi Shaista,
Got to know of your blog from Rhea, who is a friend of Rizvan's. And having visited it presently, am glad that I was directed to it. You write very well.
I pray to God that you find the strength to overcome your ailment and let the sunshine of your poetry dispel the cloud of your health.
Best wishes and prayers,
Ranga
Hi Shaista,
Im a friend of Rhea Bhandare's. I read a few of your poems and i thought they were really nice. I wish you all the very best and im sure the lord will give you the strength to overcome this unnatural odd thing:-)...
Do keep writing these poems for the rest of us and i hope you get well soon.
Take care
Hi Shaisataa
your courage will be blessing to mankind's search to conquer science;
your strength is a proof of the beauty in life itself
Prayers and Wishes
Santanov (Rhea's friend)
Dear Shaista,
Reading your poems i can feel the exuberance and purity of your soul. I am sure you are God's special girl and He is always there with you through all that you have to face. May your never lack the strength, the faith and the hope. And may love and joy be around you always.
Prayers and best wishes
Dear Shaista
I'm a friend of Rizwans. I've just stumbled on your poetry - to be honest I didnt expect much when Riawan informed me of the blog site, but it is EXCELLENT, for some reason, my girlfriend and I particularly liked Croucos; make sure you return soon to keep writing (btw- also then jumped onto a link to view your father's work - equally resonating). Want to see more, more, more and I am certain we will :-)
Hey Shai!!!
So sorry to hear you are having a tough time at the moment - wishing you all the best and a speedy recovery.
Hope to see you soon - are you available on your mobile while you're there? be good to catch up/ hear how you're going.
Thinking of you, lots of love
Oli xx
P.S. Very impressed with the poetry!
Shaista,
I hope you are feeling a bit better. I thought I would let you know that Ireland won the Grand Slam in Rugby on Saturday for the first time in 61 years!!!!! We are now ranked third in the world!!!! This may not mean much to you but I was very excited!!!
Sarah XX
Dear Shaista,
I have read some of your poems and think you write beautifully.
Also after reading your blogs I realise how tough that it must be. I pray that you get more strength to fight this.
And I must say this is one of the nicest blogs I'v been too. will be checking in regularly.
Please get well soon
Ritwik
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