There’s a Room for You (Art & Multiculturalism in Mississauga) by Zohra Zoberi
*Zohra Zoberi is an award winning banker, author and Playwright
With her mission of “Enlightenment through Entertainment” she opened her heart and home to dozens of artists, actors and musicians to stage several socio dramas and other shows. The issues she addressed; Arranged/versus love marriages, rising divorce rates, women abuse, gender inequity to name a few. Her work may be viewed at BTGOrg.com
The poem is a true story from her memoir ‘The Other I’– An epic journey of migration ‘From Separation and Alienation to Integration and Celebration’ The book was showcased in the 75th book festival in Frankfurt. zohraz.com
In the replica of our global village
there’s a special room
where East meets West
North greets South and…
light dispels darkness
………………Through the mysterious corridor
……………… you spiral down the dark stairway
………………to descend in order to…’ascend’
With the theme—East meets West
This ’exclusive’ venue is inclusive
of all races
ordinary people come to perform
extraordinary deeds
A symbol of harmony
no stereotyping, true bonding
Creativity in common
people from all walks of life converge
………………Theatrical performances of
………………Socio-dramas, or stage shows are rehearsed
………………Seeking common Canadian Values
………………commonalities discovered
………………diversity celebrated as…
………………“Enlightenment through Entertainment”
The magic of our multicultural mosaic
truly sparked when;
Eyal of Israel and Gada of Palestine
held hands and bonded
………………Indian Reena played Pakistani Zarina
………………people in sarees, sarongs and kimonos
………………mingled with those in skirts and blue jeans
………………United Nations truly ‘united’
How we relished those lunches
of Shami kebab, Italian Pizza, Szechwan noodles
Sushi, Perogies and Falafal
a potluck of food and folks
………………This ‘Replica’ differs from
………………the outside world:
………………Complete harmony exists!
………………This is a room
………………where you bring your basket full
………………empty it and refill till it overflows
No matter what colour you are
tears are all the same
laughter alike
The ‘I’ less significant`
‘We’ and ‘Us’ matter, and…
there is room for you
………………And to think
………………This grand, global gathering
………………started in my home basement!
Our Train Journey (a story by Zohra Zoberi)
Meena Chopra’s Poem and Arts
Recently, the Courtney Park Group held its monthly gathering at my Mississauga residence. Many of us writers also enjoy painting, so we decided to showcase our art in the gazebo and then write or create verses inspired by the displayed works. The evening was filled with artistic expression, as artists and writers immersed themselves in creativity. It was a delightful and inspiring evening. Thank you to all the fellow artists and poets who made it a success!
A Symphony in My Garden
Creativity bloomed in my garden,
Words, an echo on every leaf and flower
My gazebo was illuminated softly
as art embraced vibrant summer hues
charged with the energy
of writers and artists.
Words, light as feathers
drifted on the breeze
their fragrance kissed the heart
of each flower, and each one of us
a tender touch
a serene murmur
weaving together effortlessly
as the sun sank low
and shadows danced upon the grass
a river of twilight flowed
from the verses and canvases
as nature cuddled them
A song lilting through the branches
I saw a little bird on a treetop
A symphony of poetry and art
Immersed in my garden! -Meena Chopra
Two writings by Joann Wanda Rossitter
Evening at the Grand River, Cayuga, Ontario
I share my thoughts with you beside the fast flowing river
The sky is both grey and dark blue and a bit of magenta,too.
The grass and the leaves of the trees are a deep green,
While the fish below the surface of the water are unseen.
Bugs fly like helicopters up and down and around and around.
Big, fat frogs burp and a diversity of birds chirp .
Robins sing as the evening rings and joy abounds.
Squirrels climb quickly up to the top along the bumpy bark,
Now slowly the fading sunset yields to the dark,
As the blue heron gracefully rises in flight ,
Another day passes into a soulful night.
Walk in the RattrayMarsh in Mississauga
As I walk in the peaceful marsh, I see the tall trees and I feel a warm breeze,
I see the white swan as she flies above the reeds and below the blue skies.
I hear the swift creek as it flows and bubbles and gurgles and glows..
I sense all the beautiful mammals that quietly crawl about at night .
Then the sun warms us all in the early morning shimmering light.
So wild and bohemian and uncultivated and fecund is the marsh .
seams pair languages
stitches connect boundaries
each Fall, a new hem
a story unfolds
patterns, textures, vibrant hues
weaves into fabric
to great grandma’s quilt
I add the 50th patch
Mississauga grows
© alene sen 2024
MISSISSAUGA ARROWHEADS FOUND by Honey Novick
5:00 a.m. Sunday morning, summertime
2 fathers, 3 children drove west into a rising sun
stillness
on the shoreline they walked, explored
2 boys, 1 girl
the girl waded into the lake waters
bare feet punctured by stone object attached to wood
she grasped into the sandy water and pulled out an arrowhead
she knew immediately it was important
for in her hand she held history
the boys were curious and wanted to see
she let them touch, then hold, her treasure
they gaped and pronounced it useless
threw it far back into the lake
never again to be recovered
heartbroken, the girl bent her head
looked for the history, only a moment before held in the palm of her hand
if she could not take the evidence back
she vowed she would carry the importance of what will always be