a poem by Anjum Alam
we could have died before
like kings
instead
cows sip holy water among the dead
above our
green land
where Jannah rests
between the graves and the sun
we could have reigned over
life
like Jannah suggested
where rivers intertwine
enslaved only to fate
instead
we collect histories
as I ask you to pray
for
when our days pass
and this worldly realm goes unto
our children
and their children
and the ones who follow
what will we have to remain?
TRANSLATIONS:
“Jannah” is the Arabic word for “paradise” and the concept of afterlife in Islam.