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| Idi
Amine Kneels by Youssef Alaoui |
| Idi
Amine kneels to pay respect at the tomb of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, and, Moved to tears, Utters a Devotional Song of Cosmic Love. Clutching at the grass below him, he presses his forehead against the foot of the cool white steps and rises occasionally to emphasize: "ALLAH...." Repeated several times "...ACHBAR!" Vowels extended over a period of ten or twenty minutes. "My lover's shawl flies upon the wind. It was left haphazard along the shore after our lakeside walk. It flutters like a bird and soars at times like an eagle. It infuses cities, mountains, fields and gardens With fertile perfumes of honey, lilac, milk, and musk; A concoction of our devotion and loving caresses Inspired only by your Immortal Song! The perfume spreads bliss and peace and respect for Allah; our loving ruler, Through the currents of air which envelop the fair landscape. May the floral winds of love twirl about us now, sweet Fateh. Teach me your magic. For I know only the results of your spells and feel like a hapless pawn trapped within greatness. Forbidden from something Greater. Blow your ghost into my chest! Share the wealth and the drive of your holy and profound career. You made so many people so very happy. That I might know love and power is not to deny But I believe yours to be a love and a power Wrapped more closely in the protective embrace of Allah. Whisper to me now and guide me to the paths Leading to God's sheltered gardens Where the fountains spew rosewater and grapes hang fat and warm and so low They climb by themselves Into the mouths of lovers as they roll past in ecstatic union. Where women lounge unveiled amongst cavalcades of brightly colored flowers Spanning two palms' width each; yawning bold stripes of all red golden and purple hues alike. Stamens like tongues standing erect, unfurled, and unashamed. Where men are free to lose themselves in divine contemplation; Awash in roaring waves of abandonment Granted by the simultaneous recitation Of all verses of the Koran which form a harmonious galactic tapestry As broad and as colored as the flowers of the garden; as simple and as complex as the many shawls Dropped by the maidens therein. Forming a cosmos as contoured as the bodies they hid. A simultaneous recitation revealing the holy scriptures as evoked by a chorus of millions; yet condensed as one prismatic Multidimensional Truth held in diamond pronouncing the singular Resonant voice of God." Idi Amine wipes his head. It is aglaze with tears and sweat. The wind clips at the tail of his white robes. The grass has two divots where his knees have pressed. He kneels again before turning away. "hear me now and educate me with the aid of Allah; El-hamdoulaylah! May my life end as fruitful as thine. Insha'allah. B'smillah. God took you too soon for us the living. The ugly. The struggling. Show me the way." |
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Youssef Alaoui has no website yet, but says to look out for something called "roasted apricots and honey" on the earthlink network! Email: alaouif@earthlink.net |
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