Category Archives: Viva!

Serena Williams’ comeback extends Grand Slam try at US Open

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NEW YORK (AP) — Can’t count out Serena Williams, no matter how big the deficit, no matter how off-target her strokes, no matter how much the pressure might be mounting as she bids for a calendar-year Grand Slam….

To Aylan Kurdi & Syria’s Children, I Am Sorry

Captures the sadness and unreality of what we have come to.

A Separate State of Mind | A Blog by Elie Fares

Aylan Kurdi -

The most heartwarming story of recent days was when Abdul-Halim Attar had his entire future changed because of one picture. He was carrying his sleeping daughter on his back across the streets of Beirut as he tried to provide to her by selling BIC pens. His picture caught the world’s attention, but it was fleetingand momentary, like everything that catches the world’s attention these days.

Why Abdul-Halim Attar needed to go viral to make ends meet was never the issue. Viral pictures should not be how the Syrian refugee crisis gets handled, but this is how it’s becoming.

Abdul-Halim Attar Syrian Refugee BuyPens -

To Syria’s children, I’m terribly sorry it has come to this. I’m terribly sorry you need to be photographed in pictures sleeping on your fathers’ shoulders for someone to care. I’m terribly sorry you need to be photographed dead at a beach for people to feel sorry.

Aylan Kurdi f

I’m sorry you were born…

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I Am an Orphan But Not the Only One

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I am an orphan, but not the only one.
I lost parents, but I am not the only one;
I beg for peace, love and solidarity;
I don’t want war, and I don’t want a gun.
There is war in my country.
Red covers all the other colors,
And I see dead bodies more than live ones;
I hear more crying than laughter,
and I am lost in the dust of bomb blast.

I am an orphan, but not the only one.
And I don’t want any name on me:
Indio, Muslim, Sunni and Shia
are killing humanity.
They are killing peace on this Earth.
Free me from their hate.
Free me from this pain of different names
and different colors.
Free me

I am an orphan, but not only the one.
I don’t want to know a God created by people,
who kills more innocents in the name of God.
I don’t want to worship
their God who has no respect for humans; 
free me from this cage of endless war,
free me from endless war
where I am powerless, and
Morality is losing.

Yes, I am an orphan, but not the only one;
I see many more, many more
around me—
I see more mothers lose children;
I see more children lose mothers;
I see more homes destroyed. Oh,
let me sleep, let me sleep. Oh
let me dream a dream, the
dream of peace.

by Shogofa

Photo by Simon Monk

Afghan Women’s Writing Project | I Am an Orphan But Not the Only One

I am an orphan, but not the only one.I lost parents, but I am not the only one;I beg for peace, love and solidarity;I don’t want war, and I don’t want a gun.There is war in my country.Red covers all the other colors,And I see dead bodies more than live ones;I hear more crying than laughter,and I am lost in the dust of bomb blast.I am an orphan, but not the only one.And I don’t want any name on me:Indio, Muslim, Sunni and Shia are killing humanity.They are killing peace on this Earth.Free me from their hate.Free me from this pain of different namesand different colors.Free me…I am an orphan, but not only the one.I don’t want to know a God created by people,who kills more innocents in the name of God.I don’t want to worshiptheir God who has no respect for humans; free me from this cage of endless war,free me from endless warwhere I am powerless, andMorality is losing.Yes, I am an orphan, but not the only one;I see many more, many morearound me—I see more mothers lose children;I see more children lose mothers;I see more homes destroyed. Oh,let me sleep, let me sleep. Ohlet me dream a dream, thedream of peace.by Shogofa

Source: Afghan Women’s Writing Project | I Am an Orphan But Not the Only One