I admire the artist’s patience to stand like that all day, without the slightest of movement.

Here is an extremely well written article by an Indian software developer, who is also a Muslim, putting across the real idea of Islam and how terrorism and its critics have taken things out of context to justify their respective actions. Islam is not a violent religion. Like all religions it promotes peace and brotherhood. To criticize all Muslims for the acts of a few is unjust and ignoring the larger picture.

Yes, there have been few voices of dissent in the Islamic world against terrorism but one has to understand the situation before pronouncing judgment. This article provides a much needed and balanced view of the issues surrounding Islam today. Let us hope more ordinary Muslims come out and speak their minds in this manner.

Taken at the same time as this.

Your images
Keep flashing
On my inner eye

A long kiss in the woods
Confessing inner desires

Sleeping together
In the quiet afternoon
Our love entwined
Between us

—–

A long train
Of moving pictures

You and me
In love

The burning kiss
The lingering embrace

Warm

Like your red lips
And my brown eyes

Glistening
With slow desire

—–

I remember you
Still

That shy smile
That secret glint
That quiet wisdom
That hidden strength

The playful hands
And sensuous eyes

Touching the root
Of my wild desires

—–

Do you remember still?

That surprised night
Awkward and fumbling

You not ready
Me undecided
And confused

But
Do you regret
Letting down your guard

So suddenly?

I fell in love with this sculpture the moment I saw it. A beautiful emotion conveyed in a simple and elegant way. Unfortunately, I do not remember the name of the artist. This was on display at the Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Brussels.

Another one of my favorite images. A sense of peace and calm pervades this I feel. The place is the beautifully well preserved Belgian town of Bruges. Fell in love with its narrow and winding cobbled streets, evoking the medeival age like no other European town I’ve visited. The procession in the night, through those very streets on Easter eve with the townsfolk carrying huge candles was particularly memorable.

They were watching a street performer, in case you are curious to know what they were all looking at! The place is Antwerp in Belgium.

I died
A thousand births
In your intimate words

Another one from the Tulip Gardens at Keukenhoff, Holland. This evokes in me the mechanical regularity and uniformity of modern life.

The steps we take to reach a better place.