On the darkest of nights
When no moon or star is there to give solace
You will awake
There will be voices everywhere
People are scared
Running, shouting, and crying can be heard everywhere
What is going on where are we?
Then a man runs into view chased after by many others
"Give me! You stole from me that day!" one of them shouts
"But I love you mom" the man replies and they are gone from sight
Massive creatures flow across the broken grasping demon like beings and flinging them to the ground.
A shriek reveals a smoke being flow into the air only to be whipped back down by the rope of the creatures with wings.

But where am I? Where am I going?
Then just then a man runs by me with a smile on his face
"Oh Beloved, Oh Messenger of God! You man come with me to that gathering." and off he runs.
I turn and run after him not sure if he will disappear from my sight

Then I see them
The Beloved sits by the banks of water more beautiful than anyone I have ever seen
He is all light and all of those around bear some of it.
And by His side, His family giving the thirsty cups to drink
The man I had followed is already through the crowd and embraces the Prophet with the biggest of hugs
He is given to drink and takes his seat

I run and stumble,
Trip and fall
Stop and consider that I may not be possible for me to make it
But then He stops
And looks right at me and smiles
And hear Him even though He is so far away
"You're almost there, just a little more."
So I stand up and continue running
Nothing can stand between me now
Because I am not running for the water nor the light
It is the cup bearer that has taken my heart
And He is my only end.

Art is the realm of the soul
Through it, it shares
It shares from the dreams it has seen
The dreams that will be
Through it, it calls out to its sisters
"Remember remember"
"There was a time we circled
A time we praised and sung
A time we witnessed all Splendor
Remember the taste of
To You our surrender"
So sing, play, draw all is His remembrance
Oh sweetness oh coolness oh comfort
Allows us a connection

Go out and see
I'm scared and cold
They will hurt me
Go out, they need you
I am without shield, I may be hurt
Attacked, sometimes you may also bleed but never hurt
You were not made of this earth
But He made you, a special creation
Then He fashioned for you a shell
The most beautiful of bodies made with His Hands
Go out, this shell will not last,
Go out and be as you always were
And always will be
"From my Lord's realm"

There is a thing that is between two atoms
That cannot be overcome
Despite the energy
Despite the light
Despite the song
They will never touch
They were not taught how to
Between me and you there is no such thing
Be you beside me
In front of me
Opposite of oceans of various hues
     You are still within me
Beating
Giving me energy
Light
Song

Sometimes I stop
Deep breath
Still the heart beat that seeks to escape this cage
Deep breath
Smile and continue
This is how most of our conversations go
My forefathers were farmers
Hence I know how to grow things by His will
But what does a farmer's son do with a flower
He is shy of thinking about her
But compelled to care
There have been so many niches in this world
And away He turned him again and again
But here it has found lodging
And rest
And an abundance of His gifts.

I am for you
You are for me
And what lies between us
Holds so much beauty

I carry an imbalance in my blood
That affects my brain
That makes me feel
What is not real
And so I call its bluff
I deny its anger
Its sweating
Its annoyance
You are not me
But sometimes it comes in sadness
And its darkness almost drowns me
I was the one built a swimmer
So I keep going
Praying for the shore

On the plus side
At the end of it all,
When I'm sitting with my feet
Dangling over the pit of mount doom,
If my heart is still attached to You,
I will fear
nothing

In you there is a light older than the occupation
An echo older than all buildings and monuments
It beats to the rhythm of acceptance
بلى

I loved You before the sun ever met her planets,
before water and dust knew how to form clay,
before the stars witnessed the beauty of Muhammad
This world in it's shortness is like a breeze
At times it is cool and at others hot
But it never fails to fill our sails
As we travel to You,
Ever towards you
Ya Rabb

Whispers drawn from a soft heart
Into the seams of a thin carpet
over a hard floor
Are heard from on high, by One closer than even a heart beat
So fret not for ones far away
The Light of the Heavens and the Earth is the deliverer of your letters
Wherever they may be, His mercy enraptures and His compassion captures
So whisper away
No one is neglected
Ours is not a caravan of despair

I met love at the bus stop once and she said to me
Love me
I smiled at her shyly and with longing
I can’t. Away with you.
So she floated away
Slowly but surely leaving me alone
But as she left I shouted out for her to come back
But she left me
And I’m scared
But my Lord is The Light

All the death that surrounds us
The misery that confounds us
Our parents, siblings, loved ones and neighbour’s bodies litter the streets
And our hands our weak
Our hearts distracted with the next movie or song
I’m sorry
I’m sorry my little brother in Gaza
I’m sorry my friend in Missouri
I’m sorry oh dead ones
Apologies from a heart that cannot bear your burden
A back who has no weights to carry but sometimes
It wishes it could
I’m sorry
Forgive me