Father you promised

Dad, it's been a while since you left us for what we call here on earth "A better place"

Dad it's been so hard for us, look at us we're scattered all over the place

Oh how we prayed for your forgiveness, mentioned your name at every grace

Your warm memory comes to our hearts through your merciful and kind face

Did you not promise upon your leave that we were gonna be alright?

And we believed you, yes we believed, dad you were always right

You promised but why years later, upon your memory mom's eyes still get wet

It is unfair because we're only human, so did you, now that you're a spirit, forget?

Sometimes I wonder if it was a blessing in disguise that you're now gone

Because you left us whole, and did not have a chance to see what was yet to come

That place we loved, created memories, wrote our history, proudly called home

Has now gone, and we're torn apart, surviving desperately the uncertain and unknown

Did you not promise upon your departure that we were gonna be just fine?

And we believed you, dad look at us, our lives are now on the line

You promised but why do we feel damaged, can we go back in time?

Have you forsaken us, abandoned us? do something, give us hope, give us a sign

Where art thou father, can you hear us, can you see what is going on?

Our home is bombed, our lives are burned, and No! you're not the only one 

Who sacrificed his love. Each one of us to this war lost a parent, a sibling, a son

Here we are bloodless, lifeless, soulless, we're done, oh God, we are undone

Did you not promise upon your death that we were going to be okay?

You left no will, no trust, but the legacy of a broken promise, so "come what may"

Are you in cold blood playing chess with God, killing those soldiers who did not pray?

Father, your blessings are many, but is it a blasphemy that we want to break away?

Individual Cells (The Last Word)

This is not about who says the last word 

It is not about who wins and who gets defeated

It is not about whose voice is not heard

Not about who plays a fair game and who is cheated

This is about people who have lost their way

It's about people who had a bit too much to say

About people who forgot the sound of their voice

And thought that fight was inevitable, with no other choice

This is about a city that listened so much

And when it wanted to speak, it was brutally hushed

A city that raised generation after generation

That embraced variety and differences into one nation

It's about a country that used to be a mother

And now she sees her children killing each other

A country that wrote history before history was written

That made its name her children's only religion

This is not about who says the last word. 

Yet here we are still arguing about who's to blame

Not about the individual legacy we leave in this world

Get over your ego, remember we all have one last name

This is not about who laughs at the end

There will be nothing left to laugh about but ourselves

This is about the kind of message we ultimately send

Freedom comes when we step out from our individual cells

Colors

Colors

Shades you illuminate or dim

Saturation you try to tame

To know them all chances are slim

To love only one, is a shame

Open up your eyes to colors dark and bright

Blue, green, red, orange, yellow,  and purple

Rotate them round and round they all become white

Don't limit what is naturally fertile

Palette of life is not black & white

Monotony paints with only one brush

Passionate art has to diversify

It has to fall in love, not settle with a crush

Open up your eyes to colors dark and bright

Blue, green, red, orange, yellow,  and purple

Rotate them round and round they all become white

Don't limit what is naturally fertile

We're born to different cultures, we have different colors

Many religions, but the message is always love

Our need to be right, our greed make us kill each other

Our different Gods cry over us, how much is enough!

Open up your heart to what you don't know

Accept, respect, embrace, and learn to love

It's not just your knowledge, it's the compassion you show

And love is one thing we're all capable of

Open up your eyes to colors dark and bright

Blue, green, red, orange, yellow,  and purple

Rotate them round and round they all become white

Don't limit what is beautifully fertile 

Open up your ears to hear all the music Soulful, Jazzy, pop, upbeat and heartfelt Major notes can be the arrows of cupid It's the Minor notes that make your heart melt

My Language, My Religion!

You sat across the table from me

Said that you spoke my language fluently

You asked me if I became Americanized

Do I pray five times a day or am I baptized

You asked me if I were married or divorced

Am I strict with my wife, do I use force

You looked around and scorned all you see

You claimed you spoke my language with fluency

Did my lack of interest give you the green light

To continue the judgment of your ignorant sight

Wasn't my lack of interaction back a red flag

I am starting to think you're color blind, you nosy nag

Did my cold face expression feel warm to you

Are you capable of emotions, please get a clue

When I said "that is a personal" was that not a sign

Your Arabic language entitlement has crossed the line

Let me tell something about language and religion

I'll say it even though I know you won't listen

You could be Saudi, Algerian, Libyan, Kuwaiti or Tunisian

You speak my language, but you don't share my vision
I've seen how you bombed yourself in the name of God

The scattered pieces of bodies in rivers of blood

I hear your language, I understand its vocabulary

But when you put your words together, It's foreign to me

I'm Syrian, I take pride in my upbringing

My mosques and churches are always harmoniously singing

I'm Syrian, I take pride in my culture

No priest or preacher taught me hatred on the alter

I'm Syrian, the language I speak is Arabic

You speak it too, but it doesn't mean we should click

My actions, my emotions, and my philosophy are my language

You are nothing but a barbaric, causing humanity anguish

You tried to break me but no, I do not break

I'm Syrian more than Arabic, so make no mistake

That coworker of mine, you call evil foreign

Is my family for we have more things in common

Than the religion and language that define your existence

Humanity is foreign to you, for it has essence 

Go back to your dessert, enjoy your oil and sand made cultures

We have nothing in common, I don't relate to butchers

لغتي،  ديانتي،

جلست عبر طاولتي،

قلت انك بفصاحة تتكلم لغتي، 

سألتني إن كنت أصبحت أميركياً، 

وإن كنت مسلماً أم مسيحياً،

هل أنا متزوج أم مطلق، 

هل تعاملي بشدة مع امرأتي أمر مطلق، 

شعرت بأن كل ما حولك قبيح، 

وقلت أنك بالعربي ضالع فصيح،

هل كان عدم اهتمامي بحديثك ضوءًا أخضر، 

لتحكم أكثر على ما تجهله وتسخر،

ألم تر عدم مشاركتي لمنطقك إشارة حمراء، 

لتقف عن حكمك على الغرب بإزدراء،

ألم تشعر بأن معالم وجهي تحولت من دافئة إلى باردة، 

أم أن الأحاسيس عندك خامدة،

ألم تكن عبارة "هذه اسئلة شخصية" كافية كرد، 

بأن إستحقاق لغتك العربية تجاوز كل حد،

دعني أخبرك عن اللغة والدين، 

بأمور لن تفهمها وأنا يقين،

قد تكون سعودياً ليبياً، كويتياً، جزائرياً، أو تونسياً، 

مستعداً لأن تدافع بروحك عما تسميه عملا إنسانياً،

تفجر نفسك بإسم تطهير الأرض من الكفار، 

فتتلاشى أجزاء الجثث، وتجري الدماء انهار، 

سمعت لغتك، فهمت كلماتها العربية، 

ولكن عندما أضفت منطقك إليها، أصبحت أعجمية،

أنا سوري وأنا فخور بنشأتي، 

جوامعي وكنائسي تغني معاً ببلدتي، 

أنا سوري و تراثي غني و عريق،

علمني رجال الدين أن جاري مسلماً أم مسيحياً كان هو أخ و صديق،

أنا سوري ولغتي هي لغة المنطق،

وكونك تميز حروفها لا يعني اننا سنتفق ،

فاللغة هي أداة تواصل وتعبير، 

أما أنت فبربري تتواصل كالبهائم والبعير، 

حاولت أن تكسرني ولكن أنا لن انكسر،

فأنا سوري حر من قيود الذل و الأسر،

هذا الزميل الأجنبي هو إنسان وليس كافر، 

وقد أصبح عائلتي لانه بانسانيته ما زال قادر، 

على التمييز بين الخطأ والصواب، 

القتل وأكل القلب والكبد ليس هو الجواب، 

فأذهب إلى صحرائك إلى ثقافة النفط والرمال، 

لسنا متشابهان فأنا لم ابع ضميري وعروبتي مقابل حفنة من الأموال.

TOEFL? ME?

On July 7th 1999, I took a test called TOEFL in Damascus Syria and scored 253. Based on the scales back then, I was pretty damn proud of my score as a result of my previous years of studying English. 

I moved to the United States five months later, on December 6 1999 to be exact, and I have been tutoring English as a second language for, Gosh, I don't even know how many years now. I also have been tutoring to university students different courses from law, to business, to architecture. Today, as I submit all my transcripts to one of the schools in Los Angeles to start my masters program, I have been told that my TOEFL test is not only old, but also not a computer base test, so I need to retake it. 

I explained that I moved to the United States right after I took the TOEFL. I added that my English language in an English speaking country would naturally get better, not worse. That however did not matter, I need to retake the test that I have been tutoring for several years. I don't mind, I am not even complaining, I do not claim that my English is perfect, I just find it after 70 blogs, two English records, a third in process, and damn straight "A" grades for the students I am tutoring, a bit ironic that's all :)

When it happens to one of your own

When it happens to one of your own

We've heard of crimes of hatred, of wars, we've reasoned with obstruction, 
We've heard about a better  tomorrow but the "now" is beyond destroyed
We've heard of children too pure to mingle in worldly corruption, 
Who have gone to a better place but left their parents' plans null and void

A country called Earth has been generous in sacrificing countless martyrs
For the sake of noble greed, righteousness, power, crowns, and thrones
The country fell victim to civil wars caused by its sophisticated charters
That divided, labeled, classified, organized, objectified, condemned and atoned

A boy went out playing, racing, breathing, dreaming, laughing, dancing
He did not know the rules of life, he did not know he was supposed to belong
He loved and shared, he listened and obeyed, his heart was surpassing
He said to his parents when his heartbeats became still, don't cry I'm home

To our sweet angel, our Martyr Georgio Rabbat. You have gone too soon 

The Work Place

The Work Place

I have worked with incredible, smart, funny, professional, helpful, warm, genuine, sharp, and inspiring people. I have learned so much from them. They helped me shape the "man at work" I am today, and in some cases, the in-and-out of work man I am today

I've learned to have fun and not be afraid to use my sense of humor while at work. To care about the person sitting next to me and the man sitting opposite of me. To be objective and not take so many things personally. To listen without feeling the need to match the tone of an angry co-worker or customer. To take initiatives and be creative. To help, to be authentic, and to care!

Learn at work, make it your school, regardless of your position. Every employee has something valuable to contribute. If you think one or more of them is too lousy and has nothing to offer, then be that incredible person who inspires them to contribute, so that one day they too will say when they think of you and the difference you made in their lives "I have worked with incredible, smart, funny, professional, helpful, warm, genuine, sharp, and inspiring people, and they helped me shape the man at work I am today".