Tuesday, October 28, 2008

The Village in the Mountains--Deh Bala, Iran


photos by Laila Riazi

This juxtaposition of a flea-freckled donkey and his owner’s fitted suit might motivate us to modify our perception of an elderly gardener residing beside the gentle slopes of a mountain range.


One sleepy village afternoon, when full stomachs inspired the idea of lazy sprawls beneath the walnut tree, a donkey’s high-pitched groans shattered the fragile silence. Suddenly, bitter curses and slamming doors diluted the soft magic as Mostafah emerged from the knotted branches of a fig tree, swatting away fleas which swirled around his beloved’s quivering tail. Though he rides a donkey and rarely sits in chairs, Mostafah always arrives wearing a tailored suit lighter than the paper clouds above. As he smiles up at the sun, Mostafah’s eyes twinkle silver while the hairs dotting his chin flash bright white.

Once Upon a Time...

...The inquisitive shoe stomped through cities and plodded across parks, stepped into subways and paraded out of planes. Insanely curious, the inquisitive shoe questioned and observed, evaluated and admired, splattering the stuff of its many journeys unto this blog!