when i was young

and the world was new

i was filled with joy

at everything i could do

 

the spring brought rain

and in summer felt sun

i could dance, i could laugh

i could swim, i could run

 

but at times i would feel

a piercing cold wind blow

and wonder in my heart

about those below

 

i approached an adult

with a question in my heart

“what happens when we die?”

and the fear began to start

 

they said they did not know

and about this we do not think

there is so much to enjoy

to eat, to touch, to drink

 

but as the years passed

that fear began to creep

in the darkness of the night

when you cannot sleep

 

the blinding of the I

the ending of the me

the world will go on

and nowhere i shall be

 

but then there came a man

whose name was al-Mustafa

who said in death is life

nothing to fear at all

 

only One should be feared

who gave you life at first

who satisfies your hunger

and takes away your thirst

 

if you walk in His way

you will never be alone

even in your grave

angels will come to bring you home

 

and for years I walked with Him

and He blessed me with a son

hoping to see him safe

until my life is done

 

but then the One he told me

about the son of al-Husayn

and learned that I know nothing

of tragedy and pain

 

in ancient sands, under burning skies

death was all around

body upon bloody body

sinking into the ground

 

if i had looked when i was young

only despair would i have seen

unable to bear history’s oppression

what could this possibly mean

 

but for the sake of Truth and Justice

this precious one did die

lying in his father’s lap

looking into the sky

 

“my grandfather is coming

to quench my bitter thirst

come join us soon, my father

as I take the journey first”

 

to a place beyond sadness

where dreams are reality

manifest by the One who made us

and everything you see

 

the One who crafted imagination

and the heights of the human soul

from nothing came all of this

and everything we know

 

But ‘Ali al-Akbar could see

something that we cannot

a sacred drop from Heaven’s rain

that brings forth tears that do not stop

 

for the love of al-Mustafa

with trust in the All-Mighty One

Husayn let his oldest son die

certain that Heaven he had won

 

for this life will end, there is no doubt

and we will all face the final test

but can we watch our little one die

the one we had held to our chest

 

can we let go of our hopes and dreams

and still know that Allah is there

can we undergo life’s crushing trials

and still believe He cares

 

well I say to the world and all who will hear

Husayn faced more than we know

yet he never backed down and never gave up

for he knew where we all will go

 

it is better to live a moment for God

than to spend a lifetime clinging to Earth

better to know one’s precious soul

the source of the human’s worth

 

better to fear Justice’s wrath

and hope in Mercy’s embrace

to let go of our tight grasp upon this life

and seek out our Master’s face

 

to seek for the beauty of a boy who stood tall

and made his grandfather proud

the reflection of the greatest of Allah’s creation

whose battle cry he shouted out loud

 

“Do you know who I am, by the Ka’ba’s Lord

I am the son of Husayn and ‘Ali

I will strike you down with the sharpest of swords

so come face this young Hashimi!”

 

and with that I lost the fear of my youth

a poison that destroys any heart

for the call of Husayn is that we cannot die

even if our body is torn apart

 

the One who made the man you see

from a single drop of fluid despised

will create me again and make me stand

under dark and foreboding skies

 

the pregnant will forget the child she has

the friend will turn into foe

and the result of our lives will be revealed

the truth of existence we will know

 

we will see it all with our very eyes

the veil will finally be gone

and on the Day we face that test

our tears will help us along

 

these tears we shed are not in vain

they are our soul longing to be free

yearning for our everlasting home

where with our Imam we can be

 

by the Grace and Mercy of the One

Each of us has a choice

and the best advice I can give to you

is listen for ‘Ali al-Akbar’s voice

 

listen to him calling you

repeating, “there is nothing to fear”

for my father and I are waiting for you

and the end of the journey is near