Poem: 43 / His Most Precious Concern

(Note: This poem from my “Treatment” series, in honor of the ‘Eid al-Kabir, celebrated soon all over the world, and the salat-an-Nabi billion-believer recitation after Maghreb Prayer on Sunday, November 4, insha’Allah, and personally, it seems, the emergence from cancer treatment with the tumor foreclosed, alhamdulillah. May all those suffering illness also feel the Prophet’s (salla ‘llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) sweet hand of balm on body and soul. The accompanying drawing is from a series of over thirty done during the depths of chemo and radiation treatment, a selection of which will be published in black and white in the forthcoming book of Down at the Deep End poems.)

(salla ‘llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam is assumed after the mention of his blessed name)

The Prophet Muhammad sits by the
bedside of the sick

Stands in our doorways to
shield us from the light

Strolls with us through our
dark woods

Is there in the clouds when we
fly in the air

and meets us when we
land at our differing destinations

Each one of us at once
his most precious concern

Messenger of God
not for a moment leaving us

comfortless

Feel his breath as he
bends over us

complete and deep assured

His full attention on the
condition of our souls

to pluck us from every
purgatorial indifference

peace and blessings of
Allah be upon him

greater than the sum
of each of our allotted breaths

and his Companions and Family
to the Next World

most true
________________________________________________________
6/28/12 (from Down at the Deep End, soon to be published