Live Life Right - Lessons from the Grave

68. Presently, the graves

This life I lead,

Is not for me alone,

But carry the promise and prayer

Of my ancestors before me,

And the promise and prayer

Of my children after me.

I am in the grasp

Of a past and future

Far worthier than me!

And in my visitations

To the graves of my ancestors

Is the veil of physical love -

In the presentation of flowers,

The sweeping with the broom,

And the polishing of the tombstones,

The veil hides the inner love

Of a helpless sinner,

Trying against the unstoppable

Tide of promise and prayer

Flowing from his unseen ancestors,

To return promise with promise,

Prayer with prayer, beseeching

In the name of the Red Rose,

In the name of the House of the Orphan,

The Most Beloved of the Alpha and Omega,

Lord of his grandparents,

Lord of his grandchildren.

And verily, the sinner is aware

Of his miserable prayers,

As his soul whispers,

Never enough! Never enough!

Poetry Glossary -
- The Red Rose and the House of the Orphan refers to the Prophet Muhammad and his family.
- Alpha and Omega refers to the divine attributes of God, as the First and the Last.

LIVE LIFE RIGHT. When our fathers and mothers were alive, they never stopped loving us. My father, may God bless his 77 years old heart, is very much alive. But my mum isn't. Not for the past nine years. And not a day goes by that the sinner is not touched with the memories of his mother. Perhaps you are like me, who now intends to live life right, as the best ever gift that we could present to our dearly departed parents. For there is nothing more soothing to the eyes of the dead, than to see their children live life right - My mother taught me that generosity is everything. My father exemplified hard work and honesty. My mother would not approve of envy and deception. My father tells me never to limit my dreams.

So I like to visit graves. And I encourage Mikhail to accompany me, and now I am happy. For he does not fear the cemetary. He walks around the dead quiet unperturbed, reading the gravestones and thoughtfully observing, "Papa, this baby lived only for 3 months. So sad."

And when I am there, I cannot pray enough. I cannot recite the al Fatihah (Opening Verse of the Al Quran) enough nor the surah Ya Sin. Always, each time as I raise myself up from my mother's black-marbled grave, I know that this visitation is not enough for the life and devoted love that she has sacrificed for me. I tell myself each time that the only way to commemorate her is to live life right. And I am trying.

So do not forget your ancestors, your grandparents and your parents, sunshine. Dead or alive, visit them whenever you can.

wa min Allah at-taufiq.