Mirror of A Believer

Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Reflecting the past, the treacherous falls,
My soul’s weaknesses pierce your glare,
And reflect again on my own despair.

Trembling and sore, I seek to erase
The failures that are bolded, retraced.
My blood boils, tears well up in my eyes,
My chest constricts as my throat runs dry.

Regret seeps into my aching veins,
As memories of vice leak through the pain.
I stare narrowly as I clench my teeth,
And let out a crippled cry in the face of defeat.

“Forgiveness, mercy,” I plead at His door,
He grants my pleas and so much more.
He covers up every flaw and sin,
And makes the mirror clear again.

The renaissance of a believer’s heart
Is thus no longer disposed to the devils’ darts.
Euphoric contemplations begin to arise.
Mirror, mirror, purified by The Almighty, All-Wise

This piece was written after a session of self-reflection. Many of us go through cycles of iman highs that suddenly drop when we lose hope in ourselves. At times, we persist in doing things that we know we should stay away from. We know that we can do better and often want to, but sometimes, the idea of taming our nafs is the most challenging struggle. In this poem, the mirror symbolizes a believer’s heart– a battleground. After it is flooded with guilt and regret, it is made clear once again through Allah (SWT)’s forgiveness and mercy.