On the occasion of the first day of Eid, the Islamic holiday that marks the end of Ramadan.

In the Footsteps of Sages
By John Herlihy

I speak of things that no one really knows,
Imaginings that we can only truly suppose.
Words engraved on faded, ancient parchment,
An angel’s breath of hope to bring contentment.
A journey that takes us across unchartered maps,
A hint of beauty and truth behind a veil perhaps.
A horizon whose frontiers lie beyond easy reach,
The whisper of mysteries found in revealed speech.
Possibilities that create a poetry of the unknown,
Not prosaic facts that lie in the realm of the shown.
The butterfly drinking flower nectar in tender sips;
The silence of nature utters secrets from closed lips.
The day closes down with twilight’s flaming sword;
The night pours forth darkness from a celestial gourd.
We create our own beauty and bliss when God is near;
No need for any hesitation or doubt, no lasting fear.
God never shows directly His comforting presence;
Nature reveals His majesty when we feel His absence.
In forgetting, we give up our heritage thru the ages;
In remembering, we follow in the footsteps of sages.