As Bahareh Amidi walks into the room, she fills her surroundings with positivity through poetry. She takes Tempo through her expressive words that magically turn into poems, and her new book “The Carousel of Life”.
“’The Carousel of Life’ is a collaborative work that pairs 40 poems written by myself with 40 corresponding visual art pieces contributed by 40 artists from around the world.
The poems and art works touch upon topics from self-discovery, to ethics in today’s society; they cover themes such as war and peace, love and heartache, birth and death, childhood and old age. All are described with a refreshingly wise yet healing perspective.
“I am a person who is on a journey seeking Light. I see Bahareh as a speck of dust in the hour glass of the universe. I am a poetry therapist who believes words and voice can be instrumental in the healing process for people of all ages and backgrounds worldwide. I grew up in the USA and have a Masters’ Degree from College of Notre Dame and a PhD in Educational Psychology from The Catholic University of America.
“I have spent many years in the Middle East working with youth, victims of human trafficking, women in safe houses, and men in labour camps. I have also worked in the Silicon Valley with high tech professionals and business executives at international companies. I regularly hold poetry sessions, workshops and seminars for poetic expression and healing in communities, schools and universities in the Middle East and the US.
“I believe in offering ‘poetry therapy in a capsule.’ The common factor is always a piece of paper, a pen and a way into the heart. The results are often revealed immediately: a drop of tear, a flash of insight, or a smile–the beginning of a self-sustained journey on the path of healing.
“Poetry came to me as a gift. I was here in Abu Dhabi at a traditional Persian concert. I was listening to the musicians tune their instruments, and I started writing when they started to play the first tune and by the end of the concert I had written 29 short poems. I only knew they were poems when I started sharing them with people. Really poetry is simply a way of expression, expressing my heart, my feelings, my views.
“‘The Carousel of Life’ is a gift of words and art coming together. I have many friends who are artists and also many people have told me that my words paint pictures in their minds. Somehow I thought it would be beautiful to bring the words and some colours together. The artists were wonderful for collaborating with me on this book. I could not have asked for a bigger gift than that of their trust and their colours and strokes. The beautiful part is that the artists come from 22 countries and are aged from five years and up. The combination has truly become something that feeds the soul.
“I would say that mostly I am inspired by moments in life than by writers. At a particular moment I may be inspired by Rumi or by a story written by a nine year old girl. It is the moment that inspire me….
Connect with Bahareh Amidi : connect@bahareh.com and www.bahareh.com
Artists that have contributed to this Book:
Charlie Davoli, Mohssen Kasirossafar, Hannah Sharghi*, Zarinaz Mottahedan, Christine Spring, Pierre Schmidt, Anita De Raaff, Hossein Edalatkhah, Abdulla Al Muharraqi, Seema Manoj*, Sai Rahul Raju&Sai Rohan Raju Kakarlapudi*, Anna Maria, Linda Hollier*, Fadi Al Hamwi, Elham Etemadi, Zari Jafri*, Elmer C. Ducay*, Eda Durust, Richie Montgomery, Alireza Darvish, Farzana Fatima Naeem*, Farideh Zariv, Ehsan Majidi Ahi, Sara Shabanazad, Nasser Palangi, Amira Aburida*, Cordina Del Carmel, Mohammed Al Hawajri, Hanan Awad, Yosra Mojtahedi, Kamila Anwar*, Peter Skold, Mohammed Al Mazrouei*, Ariana Sharghi*, Laila Salartash, Nirina Ralanto, C.B. Harkreader, Lanre Olagoke, Sasan Nasernia*.
