February 22nd 2022 (2/22/2022) falls on a Tuesday so we'll be able to call it 2's day and that's really the only thing keeping me going.

After gazing at my mother’s serene face,
I asked her about the secret of prayer.
She glanced up at me, and a look of sheer joy appeared on her face as she Began to answer.

“My dear son,
Prayer is the gateway to an assured heart.
It is the bridge to reaching deep into your soul, and the key to eternal Happiness.
You see son,
Prayer is the key of balance in this unsteady life.
It is a guaranteed hope no matter how low you are.
It is about giving of yourself without being asked.
It is the promise to bless one life at a time.
It is giving thanks for your blessings.
Every prayer is a renewed pledge to touch one soul at a time.
It is for the times you're contemplating the beauty that is nature, and all of it’s creations.
It is a beacon of kindness and compassion.
It is the priceless gift of sending good thoughts and wishes to those Around you;
The ability to bring happiness to another soul.
It is a warm greeting.
It is planting a tree of hope and inspiration deep in the hearts of lost souls.
It is shedding tears of remorse in the middle of the night when the moon is hidden deep behind the clouds.
Prayer is about living, practicing, and loudly singing life’s happy song.
It is about radiating with so much hope and having it reach those Around you.
Prayer is the instrument which you play daily in this life.”

Hussein Dekmak

My kingdom is where extraordinary ideas dwell and kindness blossoms.
It is where laughter blooms and poetry rules.
It is where the beauty of nature, minds, and souls unite,
And together they become one, like one song, one prayer!

It is where acts of blessings glow,
Faces radiate with wholehearted smiles,
Resounding cries of souls are heard,
Beautiful hearts are welcomed,
Dreams slumber on the sun’s lap,
And minds are always thinking about the next innovative idea!

My Kingdom is my refuge and my fortress when life gets tough!
It is my happy song and my eternal dream!

Take me away, back to my first love.
Take me far away to the promised land.
Take me away, across the seven seas, back to my home that I have left behind!

Take me away, to a place where my body feels no pain.
Take me to a place where I carry no number or name.
Take me to the land  where I will feel free from my worries and chains!

Take me away, to a new magnitude of dreams.
Take me away, to a place where ideas radiate.
Take me away, to a place where soft hearts blossom!

Take me away, high in the sky above the clouds.
Take me away, make me a neighbor to the beautiful night stars.
Take me to a place where I can sip an eternal drink of bliss.
Take me away, to a place where I can hide from my shadow until I find my way,
Take me away, from myself, so I can find my lost soul
Take me away, I long to go far away!

Hussein Dekmak

Everyday, I write a new chapter of my life with my smiles, laughter, sorrows, and tears.

Hussein Dekmak

I closed my mouth:
And spoke to you in the language of the rain drops,
Whispered to you in the language of the flowers,
Chanted 'I love you' in the language of the melodious birds.

I closed my mouth:
And voiced my feelings to you in the language of the ocean's waves,
Delivered my message to you in the language of the gentle breeze,
Conveyed my feelings to you in the language of the twinkling stars.

I closed my mouth:
And spoke to you in the language of eye contact,
Expressed myself to you in the language of smiles,
Shouted to you in my sacred language of tears.

I closed my mouth:
And whispered to you in the language of the heart,
Recited to you all of nature's implicit language,
Spoke to you, softly, in God's silent language.

Hussein Dekmak

You experience love:
When you treat everything that you do in life, from
Carefully drafting your thoughts and sketching your
Rainbow dreams, to breathing and carrying out kind
Deeds, like sweet prayers you whisper to a beloved!

You feel love:
When all of the letters, all of the words
Become muted from hollow meaning and strange characters.
It is when your five senses become speechless
In the presence of the thousand tongues of your heart!

You become one with love:
When you run your business with your beloved, prepared for loss,
You let the scars of love dance inside your chest,
Protect the perfect pieces of your heart that are left,
Guard them with hope and wash them with your tears.

Hussein Dekmak

I hope you know, I cherish our fond memories together, preserving them in my heart.
All that I shared with you about my childhood dreams, my first love,
The songs I serenaded you with melodies celebrating nature,
Our endless nights together admiring the stars dancing around the full moon!

I remember how tall you stood. You were so strong,
Like Lebanon’s mountains, amidst our land’s ancient ruins.
Facing the Israeli occupation, you stood with so much pride.
I remember how we rejoiced with family and neighbors during the sweet liberation!

My Dad planted you with his hands, he nurtured you with his love and sweat.
He was so strong and now times have changed him:
He’s grown older, thinner, more fragile, his speech is slurred.
The eyes that once held thousands of untold stories are now dim!

You are part of God’s oath, Noah’s mission with the Ark.
You are a sacred plant, a symbol of love, life, peace, friendship,
And generations of culture passed down.
Your roots run so deep in my Dad’s heart and mind.

I implore you old friend, lighten up my Dad’s golden age with your kind heart,
Lend him support in taking more steps towards life,
Keep his spirit alive so he can continue singing the song of a new life, and
Give him the strength to swing on the porch, to admire you again for each new day and pristine sunrise.

Hussein Dekmak