to the women who came before me
to the mamas that safeguarded us in their wombs for months
to the mamas that walked miles and miles in search of water during drought
to the women that got married too young
too afraid
to the women that got married in old age after a lifetime spent in solitude
to women too afraid to say no
to women who said no anyways
to quiet, unspoken resistance
to revolution when it is loud and in your face and unapologetic
to mucooyo who knocked out four of caamir’s teeth when he raised his hand to hit her
left his mouth bloody and empty so he would think of her everytime he ran his tongue along the inside of his mouth
to the women who warmed beds they didn’t want to sleep in
to the women who loved before me
to the women who loved me
to the women who’ve known loss and heartache
to women that watched their men kill and be killed
to the women who sweat in the sun looking for work
to all the women who work
whose work is unseen and unpaid
to the women who washed clothes under the fiery sun
who hung clothes on clotheslines to dry
watched over it so it wouldn’t be stolen
to the women who held their breasts to young mouths
who pray for milk and honey who have known peace
who have not known peace
who dream of peace
nabad iyo caano
to the countless women who have raised me
sheltered me
prayed for me
fed me
clothed me
taught me
who have crossed oceans to carry me out of war
who have cleaned up the blood of our country
who write poems
who live poems
who build and rebuild
and breathe
and live
and resist
and resist
and resist
who taught me to resist
whose bodies are bridges
whose backs are bridges
who have carried the weight of worlds
and words
spoken
and unspoken
so that i may speak
so that i may live
so that i may dream
and fight
i love you
i honor you
i carry your struggles in my heart
i carry you all in my heart

visit the author of this poem at http://nomadmanifesto.tumblr.com/
Last week at school we had to come up with grad square quotes for the yearbook and I had major difficulties in coming up with a decent one. All of my quotes seemed kind of depressing and probably would not be accepted lol. This is mostly what I came up with:

1.What now?
2. They say high school is the best four years of your life. If this is true, I might just commit suicide.
3. Contrary to common belief, I am not awkward
4. I can sum up my entire high school experience in 4 words, Thank God it's over
5. I loved high school as much as I love a cold glass of milk. I hate milk.
6. Kiss my
7. Deuces
8. Run while you can

I ended up choosing my grad square quote to be
"You don't have to be an archaeologist to know nothing lasts and nobody lives forever" by Ronald Wright


Confused and depressed
I'm torn by the fact I have not yet come to a conclusion as to what I want to do with the rest of my life.
I'm torn by the fact that my grades are disappointing.
I'm torn by the fact I'm that my English mark isn't my highest mark.
I'm torn by the fact that I didn't take chemistry this year (not really but still)
I'm torn by the fact my senior year is as stressful as it is and that next year will only be more stressful.
I'm torn by the fact I still haven't finished my homework yet.
I'm torn by the fact I have school in the morning.
So my friend cindy, in an attempt to get me to write a new post has tagged me in this questionnaire thingy. Go check her out and enjoy!

Why did you start blogging?
To be quite honest, I was bored one August night and had a little inspiration. I wanted to keep track of my senior year in high school and look back 3-4 years from now and probably say 'wow  i was one pathetic 17 year old but i had fun'.  I've had numerous blogs prior to this one but for reasons i'm not really sure i was unable to commit to them. Hopefully that doesn't occur with this blog.

What is behind your blog name?
Two summers ago i got really into Greek mythology. I would spent countless hours reading books and doing research online for the heck of it. I stumbled across Vulcan which is an ancient Greek God of fire which at 15, I thought was pretty rad. I also happen to always drive by a street on my way to my local Mosque called Vulcan St. The story behind my blog title has more of a deeper meaning to me. Ameliorer is a french verb for 'to improve' which is really inspirating to me. I wish to consistently improve myself as a person, as a daughter, a student, a friend. Everything really. A motto I try to live by and practice

Who is your style icon?
Kind of hard to say considering I have absolutely no sense of style and don't care for fashion at all really. I was never really big on trends and keeping up with them. I just wear what looks clean and comfortable. Dark colours and vans is an everyday theme.

What are the best words of advice you've been given?
They have yet to make their appearance.

Where do you what to live when you're older?
I was asked this just last week. A battle between Dubai or Saudi Arabia or maybe somewhere in Europe

What's your favourite book?
I've read countless book, this is one question I absolutely hate being asked. I've fallen in love with so many books, that it actually physically pains me to think of only one book as my all time favourite. So to spare myself, i'll list 5 books in which i would have died had i not read them.
1. A Scientific Romamce by Ronald Wright
2. The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes
3. My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares
4. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
5. A Good Death by Gil Coutemanche

Coffee or Tea?
 Die hard coffee lover.

What is your favorite food?
Most probably some sort of fruit. Or maybe all fruits...

Which person do you admire the most?
I've never really looked up to anyone in my life. There were times were i would be jealous of someone due to a personality trait i lacked or feature i didn't have which is totally normal but nonetheless annoying. But i dont believe ive actually admired someone, inspiring role model wise.

What does your perfect Saturday night look like?
Up till 3 either reading or watching netflix brainlessly
It's officially 2013 which sounds kind of awkward and odd whereas 2012 just rolled off the tongue with ease and sounded certain. Lets look back at 2012 for a second, it was a rocky year. Through all of 2011 and most of 2012, I was awkward and shy and really negative. If you asked me why, for the life in me I couldn't give you a concrete answer. Not even an answer at all. A few days ago a childhood friend was staying over for a few days. We've been friends since I was in the 5th grade and her in the 7th. She had asked me, jokingly might I add, when I had become so negative. In regards to my pessimistic outlook towards life and my abilities. I responded with a simple I don't know. And I don't. But bare with me, I see a brighter future and a happier me. I'm learning to be more positive and more confident in a sense. I truly believe this was only a high school phase, I pray to Allah (swt) that it is.  That type of outlook will get you no where. Positivity will be my new favourite shade of black.

The Paradox of Our Time

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings, but shorter tempers; wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less; we buy more, but enjoy it less.

We have bigger houses and smaller families; more conveniences, but less time. More degrees, but less sense; more knowledge, but less judgment; more experts, but more problems; more medicine, but less wellness.

We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get angry too
quickly, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, and watch TV too much.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life. We’ve added years to life, not life to years.

We’ve been all the way to the moon and back, yet still have trouble crossing the street to meet our new neighbor. We’ve conquered outer space, but not inner space. We’ve done larger things, but not better things. We’ve cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul; we’ve split the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We’ve learned to rush, but not to wait; have higher incomes, but lower morals; more food, and less appeasement. We build more computers to hold more information to produce more copies than ever, but have less and less communication. We’ve become long on quantity, but short on quality.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion; tall men, and short characters; steep profits, and shallow relationships. These are the times of world peace, but domestic warfare; more leisure, but less fun; more food, and less nutrition. These are the days of two incomes, but more divorce; of fancier houses, but broken homes. Of quick trips, disposable diapers, throw away morality, one-night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer to quiet to kill. It is a time when there is much in the show window and nothing in the stockroom; a time when technology has brought this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to make a difference, or just to hit delete…

- Dr. Bob Moorehead