Abu Bakr Pays Homage in Medina
Brandon Marlon
Now our arms are bereft of your lean body;
emptied forever of your comforting frame.
How does one eulogize a prophet of flame,
whose verses even now emblazon the people?
What words shall I use to bid you farewell,
after all have reveled in the stirring Qur’an?
Ya, habibi, I surely did not ask for this task;
you know well I feared it for so many years.
Hundreds of swords and thousands of sorrels
knew my whispered prayers for your welfare.
With this green shroud we inter you in earth,
although you live on in impassioned hearts.
May Allah console amassed Umma mourners,
and reassure the bereaved who pool sorrows.
We followed you in life, we grieve you in death.
Arabia was your wife; now she is your widow.
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Brandon Marlon is a writer from Ottawa, Canada. He received his B.A. in Drama & English from the University of Toronto and his M.A. in English from the University of Victoria. His poetry was awarded the Harry Hoyt Lacey Prize in Poetry (Fall 2015), and his writing has been published in 185+ publications in 25 countries. www.brandonmarlon.com.