Purge of politics

(Written as part of the Daily Post: Daily Prompt – Truth Serum: You’ve come into possession of one vial of truth serum. Who would you give it to (with the person’s consent, of course) — and what questions would you ask?)

 

Keeping this short but sweet – World Politicians.

Though I would never wish to force a truth from someone, as I’d hope that everyone would speak the truth themselves, there are some lies that have blinded nations worth of people all around the globe.

The emergence of truth from all of the world politicians would most likely shake the planet in ways that we couldn’t imagine; however, in time, I’d hope that we’d all learn to better ourselves and work by honesty.
If it just leads to extreme chaos, then we as humans would need to face that storm as a species due to the faults of some of our own. Hopefully, after the storm passes, we could learn to move on after having learned an important lesson.
There isn’t one governmental system on this planet that doesn’t have some form of corruption in it (no matter how small or big).

Pass out the serum, sit back and watch the unravelling of millennia worth of lies… then start again on a more ‘informed’ note.

Maybe I’m just having one of those “fed up” days when you get sick of the amount of false reporting, bias, misreporting and such on news channels, but this is what my mood would want right now.

 

 

(Image taken from livinginmyownworld.com )

Making or Breaking

 

(Written for the Daily Post: Daily Prompt – Handle with Care: How are you at receiving criticism? Do you prefer that others treat you with kid gloves, or go for brutal honesty?)

 

If you wish to go far, expect a few bumps along the way.

I’d like to think that I am the kind of person who can appreciate some good ‘constructive criticism’, as I’d hope that the intentions behind the feedback sprout from genuine concern and care.
It is something I’d hope to learn from, as feedback can help us to improve ourselves.

It is the equivalent of a mother telling her child “You can’t go to school wearing that muddy shirt”.
It is a wife telling her husband “Dear, I think the other tie would look better”.
It is a teacher telling his student “Well done, you did well, but maybe if you worked a bit on your grammar you’d get a higher mark”.

Intentions.
The difference between what can be Constructive Criticism, and what can become Destructive Criticism.

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you can tell that the person giving you their ‘opinion’ or ‘feedback’ is doing so purely out of spite or to feed their own ego?

“Your poem was awful, because I don’t agree with it. You’ll never be good enough”.
Words that can, eventually, break a person as opposed to helping them.

I personally would like to hope that I could take on some negative feedback in order to better myself and my skills, however if I was to find that someone was doing so purely to put me down… well… I’d think that their words would say more about them than me.

If you wish to go far, expect a few bumps along the way.
There will always be critics ready to fire from behind the safety of their computer screens, but if you want to be something, expect them along the way… It would be a rather quiet journey without one or two, no!?

“To avoid criticism – do nothing, say nothing, BE nothing” Elbert Hubbard

Nahhhh… I think I chose to be ‘something’.

 

 

© Naziyah Mahmood, 2014
(Image taken from hqdesktop.net)

Call of the Clyde

The mists that veil your towering mountains, envelope my mind;
a mother’s embrace.
The colours that paint on your canvas of valleys, nourish my spirit;
prisms of light.

The winds that carry your tales and melodies, caress my heart;
enchanting whispers.
The rivers that write of your boundless strengths, fortify my will;
a shield of hope.

I hear your call, your beckoning voice, each day when I am afar;
my dearest.
I feel your pull, your ethereal touch, beseeching for my return;
“come home”.

Within me you shall always remain as a beacon of love, a compass;
my freedom.
To you, I belong, like a leaf from your branches, a child of the Clyde;
your flower.

Oh land of the brave… I am a warrior… your thistle.

Image and Poem © Naziyah Mahmood, 2014

Submerged – tanka

Drowning yet rising
              deepest stages of my dreams
   capturing each breath
                awaken to reality
                               salted tears kissing my face

 

 

Poem © Naziyah Mahmood, 2014
(Image taken from the very creative work at louisdyerartist.wordpress.com)

Self Expression – Painting with Swords

(Photograph of Naziyah Mahmood, taken by Fiona Brims)