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)
