“Against Those Tides” on Spillwords Press

Posted on April 27, 2022 by Karima Hoisan

Zen-Carnival-nov-12-Large                                               “Zen Carnival” by Jan Betts

Good morning and Happy Hump Day!
I am happy to announce that my poem,
“Against Those Tides” is up on Spillwords Press today!
This marks my ninth poem on their beautiful site and I would like to give thanks to the editors, specially Dagmara K. for accepting my submission and their continual support of my poetry.
The amazing acrylic, “Zen Carnival” that accompanies my poem, is painted by my dear friend and outstanding artist, Jan Betts.

Against Those Tides

An ocean between us,
The current churned you gone.
Voices whispered, “run-away – just run!”
You cancelled all your flights;
Flew down the desert highway before dawn.

I invite you all to read the rest here: “Against Those Tides”
Please feel free to leave your comments here on mine.

Love,
Karima

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Something Has Changed on WordPress Likes & Comments

Posted on April 25, 2022 by Karima Hoisan

Hi everyone,

I have noticed the last few days a new layout when I receive a Like or a Comment.

Now there is no longer any clickable links back to the person Liking or Commenting

and there is no link back to the blog or to their most recent posts, like before.

It now looks like this:

Screen Shot 2022-04-25 at 5.48.05 PM

In order to pay them a reciprocal visit, I now have to look them up manually in Reader.

This seems contra-intuitive to building community and is simply not user friendly like before.

Why this change?

Comments really appreciated!!
Thanks to Harshi who steered me here.. Mitch Teemley has more on the subject:    https://mitchteemley.com/2022/04/25/never-give-up-blogging/

Posted in Real Life Stuff, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 41 Comments

Storm – Green

Posted on April 25, 2022 by Karima Hoisan

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” What are you looking for, down there in the weeds by the highway?”
Watercolor: AI Generated Art by Dale Innis


Storm -green,
like faded parrot feathers,
change the sky from blue to
something’s – coming – soon.
The barometer,
slides down a reed,
as if sucking the oxygen
from the air..
As the clouds,
nimbously tumble in,
everything is yellow green:
could be a storm cell
most likely starting soon.
I know this foreboding hue of brew;
back in the Midwest, where I went to school,
we searched beyond the Maples and the silos,
straining to see the horizon…
we called it…. Tornado Weather.

Before the thunder and the electric cymbals
and the hail, we were trying to get home.
That eerie hello-green sky,
was no longer our gentle Mother Earth.
We had been transported
to a hostile, liquid gaseous atmosphere
a late alien afternoon, laser sky
charged with electric current
ice grenades being hurled
heralding dangerous winds,
with capricious funnels,
dropping down in a faraway field,
sounding like a freight train,
derailing on the track.
But my house was closer,
and we threw ourselves down
the basement stairs,
with a loaf of bread
and peanut butter…
until the sirens wailed
“All Clear”
and Mother Earth,
in peaceful blueness
reclaimed her atmosphere.

Karima Hoisan
April 25,2022
Costa Rica

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Balloon Zoom & An Ode

Posted on April 22, 2022 by Karima Hoisan

As you might have noticed..I am very into helium balloons:) Video has sound:)
Fullscreen  and 1080 for best viewing:)

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An Ode to Helium Balloons

While the music rides on the air’s highway
circling the room with beat and chant,
the subtle, invisible puffs of wind touch your skin
and push you around hypnotically.

You are so sensitive… defying gravity, and yet
there are times you dip down, just because you know how
against logic and currents…
just for a second you pirouette on the breeze,
waist height then rising up to the top, you turn round and round, balancing on the fingertips of the invisible hand on the ceiling that twirls you perfectly in a slow minuet…

Inanimate… gloriously you glide…thrilling the children who follow your moves enthralled and chasing your tail, but letting you freely pass through the room, round and round they begin to spin below you…catching your joyful grace, so contagiously filling the room with movement and light/… Now we all can see the invisible breeze made visible… Now everyone can dance with the wind.

Karima Hoisan
April 22,2022 (Jack’s 13th Birthday)
Costa Rica

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The Food Court

Posted on April 15, 2022 by Karima Hoisan

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The Food Court

Religion, like dining is varied all set out for display

Each can fill a void, if you look at them that way

The nourishment is real, and soul food is the name

But at the finish line, all are so basically the same.

You can choose Greek, savor Spanakopita, spinach pie

Italian with baked Zitti and Zuppa Toscana to try

Chinese, delicious and light, bamboo shoots with Feiwang fish

Arabic barbecued lamb right off the spit, such a tempting dish.

There is freedom of choice and each one picks his own

Some have tried many food stands feeling hungry, alone

On this side everyone likes The Colonel’s recipe it seems

At the other table, all agree it’s white rice and black beans.

The problems arise when the promotion gets frenzied

When one assures the other, only his food should be envied

Food fights have broken out, bottles thrown and lines drawn

So much wasted, so many starving saw their appetites  gone.  

Then Enter the mystics, they come to eat on most days

They all climb the stairs to a higher floor, holding their trays

Might be Sufis , Kabbalists, or the Cloistered Carmelitas

Rumi, Nachmanides, San Juan de la Cruz with Santa Teresa

They are friendly and loving as each call out their name

But there is only One food stand so they all choose the same

And there is only One table so they all sit together

They eat upstairs in harmony, no differences whatsoever.

Karima Hoisan
Jordan 2007

*Footnote..Tonight at sunset The Jewish holiday of Passover Begins.. It is Good Friday today for most Christians, and we Muslims are in our 2nd week of Ramadan fasting. To have all three Abrahamic religions align, each celebrating a very important moment for their respective religions..is rare. Ramadan only joins Passover and Easter
about every 33 years. A Blessed coincidence!!

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Oh Blues

Posted on April 10, 2022 by Karima Hoisan

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Please listen to my recording of my poem, “Oh Blues.” The excellent instrumental rendition of Gary Moore’s Midnight Blues is played by a dear friend, who goes by the name of Dirty Dom:)

The Blues take me away.. from all of this..
I ride on your high notes, like a dolphin surfing the waves.. in cool water
I close my eyes and soar..I am above this world… that is falling apart below me
I am above my life that is caught in a snare.

I duet with each riff and in my veins the harmony is playing.
I see it all unfold down below like a bunch of ants battling to extinction
and above, I see what has called me since I was very young…
but somehow I got hung up on the little heavier things and forgot to follow
my voices to the light…

Now the light is coming down for me…May I be where I’m supposed to be
in just the right place to meet it with an idiot smile on my face.
These blues have been sung up and down and for the greatest while
and yet..I am changed for the better, well I can only hope that’s true
because I feel it inside me from my heart to my shoes..
Ahhh my music that inspires and makes me weep with joy,
makes me weep with  our human tragedy.

Oh Blues take me away.. from all of this..
I ride on your high notes like a dolphin surfing the waves.. in cool water
I close my eyes and soar..I am above the world that is falling apart below me
I am above my life that is caught in a snare.

I duet with each riff and in my veins… the harmony is playing
I see it all unfold down below like a bunch of ants, battling to extinction
and above, I see what has called me since I was young..
but somehow I got hung up on the little heavier things and forgot to follow
my voices to the light.

Now the light is coming down for me…May I be where I’m supposed to be
in just the right place to meet it with an idiot smile on my face.
Blues come break me open, this fragile casing and set me free.
I want to be floating up to meet that light, by the time it comes for me
Blues ready and steady me… in my final hour.

Karima Hoisan
April 10, 2022
Costa Rica

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“You Brought The Music” on YouTube!!

Posted on April 3, 2022 by Karima Hoisan

Ramadan Kareem! 
I am so excited to share with you my latest obsession:)  My poem that I wrote on March 6, You Brought The Music ,in less than a month, has turned into a video!!  Even I am amazed it came together so quickly..but I worked probably 6 to 10 hours a day on it… and now it’s done and I hope you will all take 5 minutes out of your lives:)  Play it in Fullscreen and HD 1080 (wooots:) and enjoy it!
A special thank you to Sundaram Chauhan, who inspired me to turn my poem into this video I will share with you today..Likes and comments are very welcome on YouTube too..If you did enjoy it.
You will all be seeing me soon back on your blogs..I am with lots of free time again:)

 

Posted in Machinima, Poems, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 33 Comments

Ramadan Mubarak! Ramadan Kareem!

Posted on April 2, 2022 by Karima Hoisan

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Ramadan Impressions 2007

The naked eye sees new moon over the horizon peek,
Mouth -to -mouth the news is spread around the world.
Ears on buzzing phone lines, whole networks going down;
Millions jumping in their cars to buy last minute treats.
Dates and cookies;
Nuts and seeds,
Fruit and tea..
don’t forget the dried apricot drink
Or sweet coffee.
Keep our bottled water at bedside,
Before dawn take our last drink.
Offer this time to cleansing our soul,
For healing the world
while fasting one month,
We should think of those who starve all year.

Time for us to read and reflect,
The Quran helps our spirits prepare.
When we hear the adthan being sung
We pray together, and it’s a family affair.

At sunset we wait for the muezzin to chant,
Break our fast with dates, water and prayer,
Eat fatoosh, lentil soup,  “Pass the stuffed grape leaves please,”
Then walk to mosque, in the cool evening air.

We visit our neighbors and relatives,
Talk and watch our favorite Ramadan fare,
Give alms to the poor and be kind to all,
Let our generosity show that we care.

We go to bed late after having sahour
A tasty 2am lunch to help our bodies repair.
Then wake before dawn and wash ourselves well,
The fast is renewed with the next Morning- Prayer.

Even young children take part in the fast.
They feel grown-up and proudly aware
We decorate our homes in stars and crescent moons,
And feel festive when we go anywhere.

Nothing can describe after fasting, the taste
Of a sip of water, or a bite of date.
A deliciously humbling flavor of gratitude
That is totally beyond compare.

By Karima Hoisan 
Jordan, 2007

*Author’s comments:
Ramadan begins today at sunset for millions of Muslims  inshAllah, as the new moon has been sighted. “Fatoosh” is a delicious salad of cucumber, tomato, radish onion with lemon peel all chopped fine with large bread crumbs in an oil in and lemon dressing..yummy 🙂  “InshAllah” means God Willing.
The “adthan” is another word for the muezzins call to prayer. Ramadan is a blessed and anticipated holiday every year of prayer, fasting,sharing food and generosity lived together in family.

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A True Balloon Story

Posted on March 25, 2022 by Karima Hoisan

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So I had a balloon that wouldn’t die;
he came from such hardy mylar stock,
born on a dozen roses, on my birthday.
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After a week I expected to find him
like the cat’s favorite toy but…. No!!
He still could soar and fly.

After two weeks we were contacting Guinness!
As it seemed a very long time
For a balloon to still be alive.


He wasn’t still just in the air
He did everything he wanted to do
took over the house and flew everywhere.


Then at 16 days old.. the cat found him floating on the floor
I was saying, “Nono no, please leave it alone
But then I couldn’t look anymore
WhatsApp Image 2022-03-24 at 5.08.55 PM

Some how he managed to fly up 15 feet
to the top of the ceiling where there was an opening
and with a gust of wind..he blew out and away..

I admired his ending, his last attempt at survival
getting out from those cat claws
and flying faraway on his last day.
balloonmemorial_001
I made a virtual tombstone..
in my virtual graveyard park
Said some kind words and immortalized his life.

Then lo and behold!! A miracle
He was found alive and still floating
the next day outside.

After welcoming him home
we have decided to re-inflate him once again
as he has earned this honor, almost never given.
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To be a balloon resurrected is a rare thing indeed
but his unusual behavior and fortitude
have won him a place in our hearts and in history:)

*Maybe we’ll give him his wish to fly away again someday:)

The End
Karima Hoisan (age 9 it seems:)
March 25, 2022
Costa Rica 

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Will Be a Bit Scarce… but Not Absent!

Posted on March 20, 2022 by Karima Hoisan

Hello to my friends and readers,
I am embarking on a new video journey that has been inspired by my poem, “You Brought The Music”
and especially by a comment by our fellow WordPress blogger, Sundaram Chauhan who expressed he would love to see this poem as a video on YouTube…… Wishes can come true:)
CalWL Dof_002
Starting a new project like this, alone, without my partner Natascha Randt (Allah yirhamha) is to say the least, daunting, as I will be in charge of all the aspects of bringing this together, music, voice-over, set design, direction, camera & editing etc, I foresee this could take several months, and in that time, I might not be as quickly responsive as I normally am, or be as prolific as a posting poet, but I’m still here and will dedicate one day a week, to try to catch up with everyone I follow and read.
Wish me luck!:)
This is a passion project… I feel very passionate about and I hope to make it as beautiful as I can:)
So stay-tuned  for teasers now and then as it all starts to come together and take shape.
Allowing the unicorn to have its cameo scene, I owe to Joni for reminding me that magic is joy:):)
CalWL Dof_013Love and stay creative….
Karima❤️

Posted in Announcements, General Discussion, Machinima, Poems, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 34 Comments