A Silent Plea

Killing Ourselves Slowly

With a heart full of burns

Bleeding an invisible tear

The sleeping poet returns

Overcome by worldly drear

Ire robs me of any restful sleep

And agonising shame asphyxiates me

No more stifled tears do I weep

As I remedy a muffled silent plea

I thought my heart was stronger

But AlQuds evoked my distress

Because my heart can no longer

Breathe in the hate and bloody mess

 Gaza would’ve been unfettered by now

Had we awoken from our slumber with firm spines

Let’s not forget the Uyghurs and

Afghanistan, Nigeria, Rohingya, Sri Lanka

Unheard cries too many to share within these few lines

But what can I honestly expect

When we choose not to learn

Feigning applicable knowledge

Whilst continuing to inanely burn

Burning in our own filthy doings

Asking empty questions to no end

Sealing our ears, minds and hearts

To stay as we are, and not to mend

What happened to our throbbing hearts?

Why have they insidiously hardened?

We assuage our guilt with money

With the false belief we’ll be pardoned

 It nauseates my essence intensely

How we justify our shame and disgrace

Whilst our sisters and brothers perish

With generosity dependent on their race

We spew we’re one, that we care

But our deeds attest otherwise

Gathering in so-called religious circles

To feel good and obscure our lies

We chatter and argue unremittingly

Deteriorating deeper into vile wrongs

Merely exposing our chosen cravenness

Pitifully swaying to poorly written “life” songs

We’re selective about how and why we boycott

Defending lamentable ways with no shame

All for toxins, the fleeting and worldly “pleasures”

As we rob others of their right, freedom and name

 We kill ourselves slowly by wasting time

And run away from what’s obviously right

We fiercely attack when fairly challenged

Because inaction is deemed our worthy fight

We’re gorging ourselves without mercy

Butchering our bodies to a dismal death

We’re mini dictators in our homes

Oppressing “loved ones” with our odious breath

We’re cemented in our own victimhood

And we “question” God when we’re sick

{Whatever misfortune befalls you

is a result of your own doing}

Is an Âyah that doesn’t seem to stick

‘There are two blessings many people waste’

We’re wisely and clearly guided in the Hadeeth

‘Health and free time’ are patently stated

But we’ve chosen ignorance as our sheath

 We pretend The Qur’ân is our guide

Being selective in understanding

Blinded by growing arrogance

Gossiping, backbiting and slandering

We blame systems, societies and tyrants

To explain away our bent docility

We pretend we’re living the only truth

And cringe at the hint of responsibility

We “do” Islâm instead of aligning with it

Devoid of mindful actionable intention™

We go through life as if time will linger on

Not learning from the dead, we always mention

We make excuses for not practising hijâb

And brazenly say we don’t have time to learn

َ َ ُْ
What will please Allâh ‫سبحا َن ُه َوتعالى‬

Focussing on degrees and how much we earn

 َ َ ُْ
We forbid what Allâh ‫ سبحا َن ُه َوتعالى‬permitted

And without demur allow what’s forbidden

Because it fits our despondent way of life

Presuming our intents are securely hidden

Our nufûs are craving insatiably to breathe

Away from the punishing bondage we impose

Dying a slow death with our way of life

With no heart to grow, or a wisp of repose

* * *

With a heavy ashamed heart, I write these next words

Yemen, Syria, Libya, Palestine, others we ignore

I’m sorry, you’re all on your own to fight for your life

We’re obdurately suffocating slowly, with our diseased core

I could write even more verses to allay

My bleeding breathings, my hurt, my soul

But that’s an illusion, we poets hide behind

To console our trembling hearts, to feel whole

The time has now come for me to take my leave

For the call to Fajr Prayer and embrace a forgiving sleep

Departing my poem with a restless mind, a searing heart

As the silent plea lingers on, sorrowfully persisting to seep

* * *

Al-Hamdu-Lilâh for all things without exception

And for my unwavering faith in The All-Aware

For I would’ve let go long ago and breathed my last

Al-Hamdu-Lilâh for His Love and the solace of prayer

Al-Hamdu-Lilâh

* * *

{And do not kill yourselves;

Indeed, Allâh is to you ever Merciful.}

(04:29)

Tuesday, 13th February 2018