Poetry

Your life is as long
As takes to respond
To the welcome iqamah
You heard as a babe

So weave through your time
You’re waiting in line
And when you arrive
We’ll pray on your grave

How can you claim
To praise his name
For the rahmah that is his life

Unless you knew
What he said to
The angel of the mounts at Tāif

How can I being myself to count 
The many forms of love

Of mothers tending babies
And fathers burning nights
Of brothers standing silent watch
Over their brothers rights

Of sisters gone downriver
And queens becoming mothers
Or a prophet drawing back
The angel wrath above all others

I’ll take the simple love of one
For whom he’s never met
From whom he has inherited
A wealth of intellect

Just sitting by his stock of fruit
Qudūrī in his hands
For time is his who fills it with
A humbleness that spans

Eternity, and angels marvel:
Now there’s a love to love

Sin you mustn’t but sin you will
So when you do plant a tree
Of istighfār then spread your sins
And spread them flat around the roots
A filthy fertilizing mat
For khalid, man you’re better than that

Take my weary body
Dented by the world
Shattered by disease
Broken by the earth
And make it whole again
As whole as you decree
That I may die a Muslim
Your name my final word
And I your slave submitting
Ya Shāfī Ya Rahīm

Take my weary soul
Dented by desire
Shattered by the whispers
Broken by my nafs
And make it whole again
As whole as whole can be
That I may walk in health
And follow my Habib
To where the fountain flows
Ya Shāfī Ya Rahmān

There is one God
Just ask your heart
But only after it may start
To beat the drum
Of lasting Truth
For that my friend
Will outlast you

The prophets came
All men you know
They came and went
Like shepherds go
Each looking over
His own flock
Reminding we’re
Of one-God stock

The last of them
The Lord’s habīb
A Rahmah unto
All the worlds
He came affirming
What his brothers
Told their flocks
Who came before

So listen to your heart my friend
It won’t betray you in the end
Hear its beat and heed its song
There is one God and one alone

Don’t wait too long

We love them all

The immobilized uncle
Who shouts his response blaring
Salaam over the phone
His hoarse tones streaking our ears
Like syrup on pancakes

The uncomplaining voice
Of a dear cousin poorly faring
Who does more with less
How her words of shukr
Lend her a regal bearing

And the affectionate aunt
Who braves crowds thronging
At the rawdah swearing
She won’t leave till
Her eyes have their fill
“Aayiram Kangal,” she said something declaring
In Tamil verses of delight:
“A thousand eyes couldn’t
Take in this sight.”

Lovers of salaam
Lovers of shukr
Lovers of the habīb
SallAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam

A beautiful day
Is no less beautiful
Because I cry
With clouds gathering
On my brow
Raining tears on a shirt
Otherwise dry

No, the day remains
Beautiful
Playing out its purpose
For whichever
Of God’s creatures
Must have its share
Of beauty in the air

We all know we’ve had ours
Smiles and laughter
With leftovers after
All while fire rains
Or earth splits
Or lead hits everything
In its way

Yes, the darkness lifts
Slowly
On this or the other side
Of this azure marble
Swimming in space
All that is willed
Must pass into Grace

To bring into view
The golden hues
Of a shared dawn
Enough khalid
Stop resisting
Bow or be bowed
Desisting