Telling Stories - fact and fiction

Just before Christmas, words reminiscent of the build up to the Iraq war started rearing their ugly head in the media, only this time the country being targetted was Iran, and remains so. William Hague announced imposing sanctions against Iran for similar 'beliefs and opinions' to the case made for war against Iraq, WOMDs, weapons of mass destruction. Once more there are no substantive facts.
Instead the same WOMDs (words of mass deception) mantra is being recycled all over again, it would be good to see our Government and media taking an active role in calming the situation, not pouring oil on troubled waters.

So here is a rose, a rose for Iran. Which leads to a story, and like all good stories that enchant us, they also unite us, the reader and the writer connected. Here is a story from http://www.theflowerexpert.com/ found whilst searching for a rose, it reads like this:-

In an Arabic legend, all roses were originally white until one night  when the nightingale met a beautiful white rose and fell in love. At this stage nightingales were not known for their melodious song they merely croaked and chirped like any other bird. But now the nightingale's love was so intense that he was inspired to sing for the first time. Eventually his love was such that he pressed himself to the flower and the thorns pierced his heart, colouring the rose red forever.

This story is of course fiction, but there's an even more intriguing, and true story about roses on another website http://www.jadidonline.com/ a documentary film called 'Lady of the roses'. The site  also contains a wealth of fascinating videos, music, and culture illuminating the lives of ordinary people living in Iran and Afghanistan at different times in history.
A source of wonder and enrichment that brings a deeper understanding and empathy for the people of these ancient lands. A site of balm on the wound of the Middle East. Please pass this link on.