ARASH GOLNAM, Ph.D., IAAP
DREAM VESSEL
the colorful caravan of your words
carries me to the edge of the water
where my dream vessel floats.
the map marks the isles on the sea
when encircled by the mystery
I am left to be free.
here I am
a stationary traveler
a shadow that seeks a beam of light
a discoverer of that which can’t be sought.
here I am
a motionless wanderer
on the pathways of sounds and scenes
until the vastness of the unknown persists.
Photo © Arash Golnam.
April 2020; Vevey, Switzerland.
ENCOUNTERS WITH CHAOS
Suddenly
words are sounding better
and meaning so much more
questions arise
I don’t have answers for
nothing has changed
yet nothing is the same anymore.
Everyday
I drift away
on the river of reveries
breaking apart
from the shores of prose
sending back ripples of rhyme
with the ebbs and flows.
And as scenes
unfold their silent harmonies
the journey begins and chaos grows
trees point their leaves
to the direction that wind blows
time to sing the songs
that shadows compose.
Photo © Arash Golnam.
Encublens, Switzerland
THE MYTHIC MEDIATOR
The mythic mediator
gave meaning
to the chaos and disorder
awaiting me
across the border.
his words were brief
and oftentimes
like the leaves on a breeze
took sudden turns and twists
leaving me in sheer disbelief.
along the way,
you will fail to retain
that which you don’t need
that which you give
will be yours to keep.
along the way,
and beyond ”reality”
you will find
the “illusion” that stands
the test of time.
along the way,
madness is the key
to your sanity
confusion is your ally
not an enemy.
along the way,
when you lose your mind
hearken to your heart
as it marks the time
to be embarked.
Photo © Arash Golnam.
Villars, Switzerland
THE WARRIOR IN THE WIND
Searching in the without
for what we carry
in the within
failures succeed
before the inner house is cleaned
Meaning is intrinsic indeed
and is therefore
neither given nor achieved
we can tell our stories
no sooner than they’ve been lived
In the dire need of
the method and the madness
to lift up the defenses we build
against our recurring dream
tearing down the outer shield
unmasking the real need
Defined and determined
by our surrounding
we are ourselves
only when we are seen!
The summoning is here now
time for the inner child
to take the lead
when the rhythm starts
sadness is short-lived
Riding the wind
the warrior emerges
from the within!
Photo © Arash Golnam.
Mahneshan Castle; Zanjan, Iran
DAWN CHORUS
a sacred invitation
in an early morning
and a call for meditation
suddenly the silence ceases
on the branches of the trees
the birds invocation
enacting the eternal rite
as they weave the sunbeams
into the fabric of the night
deep within me resounds
their dawn chorus
and chimes through my spine
the stillness carries me
to where time is not
to what lies beyond
and as my soul
roams and unwinds
imagination is unconfined
on the wings of a dream
I too shall fly
and soar the sky
Photo © Arash Golnam.
Encublens, Switzerland
THE ANCIENT LAND
far away across the seas
beyond the shores of reveries
there’s a place without a time
on a plane without a line
it’s the place where light resides
at the point of no demise
it’s where heros are reborn
where the kings enthroned
that’s where sound forever lives
the treasure house of memories
some would say it’s the ancient land
the place where it all began
Photo © Arash Golnam.
Naples, Italy
DRAWINGS
I see drawing as a powerful way to give form and expression to my unconscious contents. When I draw, time stops and I connect to a timeless dimension.
COMPOSITIONS
I compose songs on the guitar. As Plato said: Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, a charm to sadness, and life to everything.
You can hear two of my recent compositions here.