Devotion

The autumn sun melts gold in the western sky.
I walk through a field of radish, then stop
My feet, heavy with dew, are soaked in silence.
Birdsong fades as the flock returns to nest
The land stands still, sober in its hush.

Behind me, a tattered scarecrow grins,
It’s a strangled voice drifting through the breeze:
You are a useless, lonely poet.

But light lingers, the sky is still whole.
From a distant mosque, a call arises:
Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar.
Come to prayer, come to prayer.
You are not alone; the Creator walks with you.
You are a note in nature’s hymn,
a brush of joy where orchards burn with colour.

Yes, I am not alone, as I step forward…

I must consecrate, I must yield.
Midnight flowers smile into bloom.
I know nothing, but I offer intention.
I see the world as it was made,
yet cannot speak the weight of seeing.
I see nothing more worthy than this.

A chilled wind grazes my chest.
Blood races fast beneath the skin.
I am alive, and still, I am undone.