Take up your dust and build yourself a frame, A rampart firm in which you can reside. Within your frame there beats a feeling heart, A stream that gushes from the mountainside.
A spent scent in a garden: hopes expire. I know not what I seek, no, nor require. But whether I am satisfied, or starved, Still here I burn: a martyr to desire.

The above quatrains has been taken from first section of the book PAYĀM-E MAŠREQ by Iqbal which owes its inspiration to the Western Divān of Goethe. The first section entitled Lāla-ye Ṭur “The Tulip of Sinai” and discusses the nature of the Self and the path that mankind should follow in its quest for the ultimate goal, and his belief in self-reliance.

My following painting is a tribute to the book and the message it portrays.

http://i.imgur.com/vHZ25yk.png A tulip grown in the midst of a desert
http://i.imgur.com/kHrVuKU.jpg A tulip of sinai, made using acrylic paint

I am a highly opinionated painter and a writer who likes to address the realities of life. You can see some of my work in the below links. Please visit my blog for rest of my work. https://steemit.com/life/@mindboggle/a-transgender-royal-princess-too-hard-to-accept https://steemit.com/life/@mindboggle/feeling-trapped-freeing-yourself-from-the-cage-of-past https://steemit.com/art/@mindboggle/finding-yourself-and-creating-change
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