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Eileen Manassian
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I guess you could say I'm a citizen of the world. I've traveled....and I've lived parts of my life in Iran, Lebanon, the US, and Cyprus. I am proud of my Armenian heritage. I was born in Tehran, Iran and soon after that, my family went to the States for my dad to work on his MA degree and many years later, to work on his Ed.D. I have a lot of the Middle East and the West in me, and at times....I feel confused about my identity. I do, however, cling to my Armenian roots and am outspoken about recognition by the world of the Armenian Genocide that took place over 100 years ago.

Since my parents had no common language, the language spoken in our home was English. Yes, I am most fluent in English, and I think, dream, and converse in that language, though I do speak 5 other languages to varying degrees! :)

I am melancholy/sanguine by nature and feel everything very keenly. My highs are SUPER HIGH...and my lows...SUPER LOW! I guess you could say...I'm INTENSE. I'm passionate about poetry to the point of obsession.

The events that have colored my life are the death of my mother due to MS and the war in Lebanon. As a child, it was hard for me to come to grips with the fact that my mother was ill, and to see her go from being a vibrant, well-loved teacher to a wheelchair bound, isolated woman was a very harrowing experience. I do believe, though, that there is a resurrection day and that, by His grace, I will see my Mama fully restored...free of wheelchair, able to sing, laugh, and smile again. The war in Lebanon...bombs landing all around, nights spent in bomb shelters.. has also scarred me to some degree.

What I'm most proud of? That would be my daughter...Shereen Natalie Ghali. She is the light of my life. Her name in Farsi means SWEET! :)

Currently, I teach English at Middle East University in Beirut, Lebanon. Poetry Soup has been a haven for me....most of the time! ;) I've developed amazing friendships here that are very genuine and real. My dream is to one day have my name on a volume of poetry! One can always dream....Thank you for making the effort to get acquainted. God bless!


 

Thanks!

Blog Posted by Eileen Manassian: 8/4/2025 5:34:00 AM
A great big thanks to those of you who congratulated me on my POTD. It has been a while since I had this honour. I was getting rather discouraged as so few seem to be reading my poems, so this was a big boost to my morale. I'm sorry I can't respond to all of you today. In a few hours I'll be traveling to Cyprus to be with my daughter for two weeks. I am sorely in need of this time away. I will comment when I'm able. Please know that I do appreciate the love and encouragement. Blessings, Eileen


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Date: 8/6/2025 2:28:00 PM
Dear Eileen, congratulations on receiving Poem of the Day with this heartfelt, yet truthful post. Safe travels and enjoy moments with your daughter. Hugs, Brandy
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Eileen Manassian
Date: 8/8/2025 10:23:00 AM
Thank you for your kind comments, dear. I'm taking things easy while in Cyprus. The months before this were taxing and I needed to get away and just... be still. Blessings to you.
Date: 8/5/2025 9:30:00 AM
I hope I was one who congratulated you. I normally don't check out POTD's but sometimes I run across them and see others congratulating the POTD's, and then I join in. I know I read an excellent poem of yours recently, so I think I did see it. If I did not say it, big congrats to you, dear Eileen! Enjoy your daughter!
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Eileen Manassian
Date: 8/5/2025 10:36:00 PM
Thank you, Andrea. You're always so considerate in your comments. I had the most difficult summer of my life. I'm burned out and need time just to take things slow and be with people I love. Hope I'll come back refreshed.
Date: 8/5/2025 2:02:00 AM
- Enjoy your time with your daughter :) - hugs
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Eileen Manassian
Date: 8/5/2025 10:39:00 PM
Thank you so much, Sunshine. It's so good to be here with her. We're taking things slow. I need to recover from my stressful life. I appreciate your visit.
Date: 8/4/2025 8:03:00 PM
Eileen, your poem reverberates. It has teeth and bite. You POTD is very deserving of cake.
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Eileen Manassian
Date: 8/5/2025 10:49:00 PM
Thank you, Connie. I'm glad to serve everyone a piece of this cake. Sweet of you to call it that. Blessings.
Date: 8/4/2025 1:41:00 PM
appreciate your gratitude....enjoy your time in Cyprus.
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Eileen Manassian
Date: 8/5/2025 10:48:00 PM
Thank you! I'm enjoying taking things slow. It's been a stressful couple of months and my body needs some down time. I will be by to visit you work soon.
Date: 8/4/2025 9:53:00 AM
Enjoy your gift's Eileen! :D
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Eileen Manassian
Date: 8/5/2025 11:05:00 PM
Thanks ever so much. I appreciate it, Anaya. God bless you
Date: 8/4/2025 7:33:00 AM
Eileen, enjoy every minute of your time with your daughter and time AWAY from what is an overload of stress. Your POTD should've resonated with everyone who read it, and still I see, as you put it, 'feigned affinity.' You are a source of true encouragement for all who know and love you. Have a safe journey to and from Cyprus.
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Eileen Manassian
Date: 8/6/2025 1:53:00 AM
Such a kind comment. Thank you so much, Lin. This poem was something I started working on several weeks ago, but I couldn't quite get it finished. I thought about what to post and I decided to fix it and post it. Thank you for taking the time to read and comment. Life lately hasn't been easy and I need to just spend time with my daughter and catch up on sleep. Blessings to you.

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