When the Skies Wept Blood

Poem 17: When Imam Mehdi Visits Karbala

A man approaches the grave of my master,
His face illuminated yet from his eyes,
Flow a river of tears,
He grasps the flag of Abbas and bows his head.

He falls to the ground and prostrates his forehead,
He kisses each grain of sand where Hussain's blood bled,
He cries,
Oh Grandfather if only I had been there instead,
I would have given my head.

His tears turn red,
He beats his chest and laments,
As he remembers each torment,
What a tragedy to the house of God had been sent,
Yet to God's will,
In submission they bent.

Hidden within these grains,
He saw the pieces of the prince of Farwa who was slain,
As he walked, he felt in his heart,
Ali Akbar's pain,
He saw little Asghar sleeping for eternity in a cradle of sorrow,
On the burning plains.

He goes towards the Euphrates river and sits to ponder,
In the water,
He sees a reflection of a young Sakina,
As the severed arms of a broken warrior still protect her,
This scene makes any heart like a rose,
Wither.

He saw the bodies of fallen companions decorating this land,
Their love still flowing through their veins,
Their voices still calling,
Labbaika Ya Hussain!

His eyes look up and he sees tents that were once set alight,
He saw women rushing in fright,
As with their eyes,
They saw their plight.

He cries oh my grandmother Zainab,
You awaited each trial patiently,
Such a mountain of piety,
Such a noble lady that even within grief and tragedy,
All you saw was God's beauty.

He screamed a soul piercing cry,
As these calamities make him wish the sky had shattered,
How could such tragedies befall the children of Haider,
Surely these men had no honour,
For the one with honour would always choose the path of Aba Abdillah.

Who is this Zawar of Karbala,
Bow your heads as his name,
My lips are blessed to utter,
Our living Messaih,
Moula Imam Mehdi,
Say his name proudly,
He is a part of God's mercy.

He comes to these gatherings,
He is wailing and lamenting,
And he is watching,
To see if we are for Allah's sake,
Striving.
Remember that Hussain's message should never diminish,
From your hearts,
This flickering flame of love should never be distinguished,
His love can make nations flourish,
Remember him whenever you face in your hearts anguish.

So cry for Hussain with tears, majalis and chest beating,
Say bismillah when niyaaz,
You are eating

When Dua Faraaj you are praying,
Keep in your mind this saying,
We are not waiting for him,
For us,
He is patiently awaiting,
Whether in our every waking minute,
His arrival we are contemplating,
Whether on our behaviour,
We are reflecting.

They say that everyday is Ashura and every land is Karbala,
This is the promise from the Almighty till Akhirah,
This means there are thousands of Zainabs crying out for help,
There are hundreds of Yazeeds making people to their will kneel,
Oh grandson of Haider,
Hold your Dholfikar and protect your followers,
Dying at the hands of predators,
Calling for your shifa,
Oh the Yusuf of Zahra.

Are we ready to our hearts be reawakening,
To our Imam be serving and protecting?
Are we ready to start a spiritual uprising?
Are we ready to Karbala's message everyday be reviving?