Persian King
The Last Home
Posted by Amir (Tehran, Iran) on 10 September 2007 in Abstract & Conceptual and Portfolio.
Dallas, TX
This is the last destination, the final home for every one of us in this mortal world. This is the place that billions rest and time will come that we all be there under those stones.
The greed that plaque the mankind, the thirst for power, the desire for material wealth and struggle for longer stay in this "motel" of life; will all be put to rest when the final moment arrives.
Why humanity can't live in peace with itself? Why humanity is so destructive in his quest for glory? Maybe we are a forsaken race, a forgotten mistake!
A trip to the cemetery bring any person to his senses, even if for a short time, to realize this is what we all get after those very few years of struggle on the surface.
Our lives are short especially when put in the context to the age of our planet or universe. We are so insignificant that our existence in this vast universe of darkness is not even known.
Everyday you wake up and you see horrific news of terrorism, murder, rape, massacre, genocide. You go to school and you are thought subliminally to distinguish your color of skin from those of your classmate, you are told how to behave in relation to that. You are told that Asians are yellow, Africans are black, Europeans and Americans are white, Middle Easters are brown and Latinos are red. We divide ourselves with religions to make us ever more different, then we fight over ideology to the end.
We echo world of freedom, but we enslave billions. We talk about democracy, but we support corporate friendly dictators. We talk about our common humanity, but we are busy making nuclear bombs to bring about the demise of our enemy. We establish humanitarian organizations to help people recover from wars, but then we are researching hard to make bombs and guns kill more and be more effective.
If everyday we start by taking a trip to a cemetery and see those that once stood strong on this Earth now sleeping powerless under feet of soil we might be kinder to each other. We might know our common humanity the final destination and the need to live these few day that we are given in peace and harmony with ourselves and with this universe.
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quintino from Joane, Portugal
Well done. A plain, nice post with a marvellous photo.
In Portugal we don't have the tradition of garden cemetry.
But I'm quite found of them. Love those lawns, trees and bushes. Gives anyone a sensation of peace.
10 Sep 2007 2:55pm
@quintino: Thanks for you comment and visit.
@Eleftheria, 9 years old,: Thanks.
Rebecca from Leicester, United Kingdom
Excellent photo with a very thoughtful and soberingly well-written narrative, Amir. Very fitting reminder that "from dust we came, and to dust we shall return", whatever our colour, language, nationality, wealth, status in life, whatever.
It also reminds me soberingly that God is the ultimate judge of us all, and one day all of us, again regardless of where we come from and whatever status in life, will have to give an account to Him of how we have lived our lives. All the more I agree with you we should be spending this time in harmony with, loving and caring for our fellow man (and woman :) ).
10 Sep 2007 5:03pm
@Rebecca: I really appreciate your everyday comments and visits to this blog. The fact that there are still people that think the same makes me smile.
Mandy from Johannesburg, South Africa
A really moving Image Amir!!! The lighting behind the stones gives it a great impact!
Stunning words, you are so right. Our time here is short and we need to be grateful for our blessings and those close to us. We never know when our time here on earth is through. So we need to appreciate all things we've been blessed with by God above!
Thank you for your kind comments on my blog,it's always lovely to see you've visited. Thanks especially for your comments today. My son was SO PLEASED by all the wonderful comments he got for his picture! It really made his day! :)
10 Sep 2007 5:04pm
@Mandy: It's my out most pleasure to visit your blog and its wonderful images. I am glad that my little comment has made your son happy. Please stay safe.
Soodabeh from Yazd, Iran
Nice impressive photo, Amir. Long useful written comment.
10 Sep 2007 5:55pm
@Soodabeh: Thank you so much dear. I am glad your enjoyed.
@Maysam: Thanks Maysam.
Julio Pulido from Barcelona, Spain
Tienes razón, la codicia, el poder, la riqueza, el consumismo... hacen que no se respeten los valores por los que nos diferenciamos de los animales, pero desde que el mundo es mundo, ha sido una constante en el comportamiento del hombre, el hombre destruye al hombre, la naturaleza y acabara con el planeta.
Un saludo.
10 Sep 2007 9:25pm
@Julio Pulido: I did not understand a word, but thank you.
@Wolfgang Prigge: Thanks.
Lost Valley Views from Kamloops, Canada
A photo with such history I really like this. Your words were something else.
10 Sep 2007 10:26pm
@Lost Valley Views: Thanks a lot my friend.
@tengtan: Thanks.
amy from Rocky Mountain House, Canada
Very thought provoking commentary... with a very evocative image. Bravo for both.
11 Sep 2007 2:22am
@amy: Thanks a lot for your kind words.
@Stunner: Guess I should say thanks.
Twelvebit from Victoria, United States
Nice shot. I find cemeteries to be a very interesting place to take photos. And Amir, my friend, they're cooking up lots worse things than new bombs and guns, or even nukes. You're a biologist --the potential for evil and destruction in the field of bio-weapons outstrips even nukes. But long before such weapons are ever used, greed and arrogance, both far more advanced than our scientific knowledge, may well stimulate some bio-engineered catastrophe in pursuit of higher profits and better next quarter returns.
11 Sep 2007 1:25pm
@Twelvebit: I have to admit that what you said is all true. I wish I could say otherwise.
@alla: Thanks a lot.
Twelvebit from Victoria, United States
BTW, when I said your shot was "featured" the other day, I didn't mean it was one of the random shots on the community page. If you go down under the "recent community photography" and click on the link that says "powered by Animus 3 Photoblogs" the page you go to has a "Spotlight" section, and below that a section of "recent photography" advertising the blog. Your flag-photo was in that recent photography section.
11 Sep 2007 1:56pm
@Twelvebit: I did not know, thanks for the heads up. I really enjoy your visits and comments.
ChaCha from United States
A good title to fit the image. wll captured and very right with yr commentray
11 Sep 2007 3:57pm
@ChaCha: Thanks.
Rags from Plano, United States
Your words and image makes me think of my own mortality.
11 Sep 2007 5:52pm
@Rags: That is always good to make people think.
Lost Valley VIews from Kamloops, BC, Canada
Wow this is something else....and you know the depth of this picture and words are amazing
11 Sep 2007 6:45pm
@Lost Valley VIews: Thanks for your visit.
Stan Pulsar from Strasbourg, France
Well, without quoting any comment here, I must answer to your words : so true.
It simply defies my imagination, which is quite oversized, that such a great proportion of our human kind is willing to trample their neighbours' dead bodies...
"Our human kind"... It sometimes makes me wonder whether it is I who come from another planet and/or dimension, or them...
Back to the picture : the IR aspect makes the trees look like they're covered in ashes and dust, which totally supports your point.
11 Sep 2007 8:37pm
@Stan Pulsar: That's why these pictures are best taken using IR. I really appreciate your kind words, and hope to see you often.
Canon PowerShot A640
4/1 second
F/5.6
ISO 80
9 mm