Ramadan Hitchhiker

Days draw horizontal lines
In the hallow centre of my unkempt mind.

Invisibly etched words leave their mark
A standing silhouette in the lingering dark

A Ramadan Hitchhiker I had always been
Ramadan, a smokeless mirror, soul buried in sin

I wandered through the month aimlessly
No zeal or depth, only attempts made feebly

My fasts, prayers, and actions steered in a ship anchored in misdeeds
How would I one day reap what I sowed when I hadn’t planted the seeds?

But one day everything transformed.
One lasting prayer and my heart warmed.

I once traveled through Ramadan as a mere wayfarer
Thinking I’m only young once and as a human I’m bound to err

But one early morning my life altered forever
I tasted the sweetness of Ramadan; its distinct, rich flavor

That day I rose before the sun revealed a crimson hazed sky
Thinking about what would become of me if today I died

My internal dialogue in the desolate wasteland of my forgotten soul
I begged my one true Lord to fill my chest with light, to fill that gaping hole

My forehead pressed firmly to the ground in dire submission
Thanking my Master for this chance I’d been given

The utterance of my Lord’s glorification I began to repeat
My heart, doing all the talking, physically ached and skipped a beat

I begged my Master to guide me back to Him
To help me tame the raging tempest of my rampant whims

I invoked Him, asking that should I die before I wake
That He forgive my sins and dissolve the heartache

That day my Master answered my plea.
The Ramadan Hitchhiker, vanished from sight like a ship drifting to sea.

Oh fallen Ramadan Hitchhiker! I’ve found salvation from your chaos
Because from Ramadan there is only gain and never lost

Because Ramadan Hitchhiker, yesterday was the day that you said tomorrow
Your promise of fleeing to Him fades faster than a quick – whispered sorrow

Clouded thoughts that even when rooted wouldn’t survive the winter
This Ramadan isn’t just for the present but for my eternal hereafter

Dearest Muslims, let Ramadan be that guiding light
Fast for your Lord in earnest for Jannah is not your birth right

From ungratefulness let Ramadan be your armor
Because of that book you will receive, you are the author.

The stars can be erased from the canopy of the night sky, if He wills
And just as He will extinguish the stars, have faith. His promises He always fulfills.

Seize today and bow your head in submission to your Lord
And of your wishes turn to Him, your Master implore.

Wear death on your heads as if it were a heavy crown
Constantly reminding you of your end, the persistent countdown.

Let not the Ramadan Hitchhiker clench your fortitude
One month and everything can change and with that I conclude

No longer a Ramadan Hitchhiker, just a traveling stranger
Making my way from this life to the next
A Ramadan-and-beyond voyager.

Insha’Allah.