The Call

By: Everlyn Jaji

I could only remember

the softness of pillow,

the wind from the electric fan

finding its way through my pajamas

and the night

whose darkness never fails to drown

tired men and women to slumber—

before my eyelids

weakened by the day

shut

in peace.

And in the tranquil of the night

my soul is satisfied that it had hours

of visits to places and people

until

Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar

Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar…

It is the voice

from the nearby Masjid

mixing with the night air

penetrating through the windows

signaling the beginning of dawn.

Hayya ‘alas-Salah…

Prayer? But, the whispers tell me

the night is still long and my soft pillow

need not be abandoned this early.

Yes, still an hour before sunrise

Maybe, just a little more…

As-Salatu khairum minan-nawm…

my eyelids pulled open

as if the call became right beside my ears

my yearning for forgiveness

and for a day started with that meeting

also awoken

And thus, my body

parts from the inviting comforts of sleep

in search for the purifying water.

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Allahu Akbar: Allah is Great

Masjid: Arabic word for the place of worship of the Muslims

Hayya ‘alas-Salah: Come to Prayer

As-Salatu khairun minan-nawm: Prayer is better than sleep