Through time’s woven patterns

We see History

Repetitively

Repeating

In our own time—

Our life—

we see

History

Repetitively

Repeating

In Surah Fatiha

we read

“Guide us on the straight path

Not the path of those

Who earned anger

Nor of those who go astray”

This speaks

Of history

A pattern of behavior

Choose the pattern best

To repeat:

The Straight Path:

The path of Growing, Learning,

Reforming and Performing

Kind Acts,

Honesty, Humility

Don’t follow the way,

The path,

of other religious communities,

misled or wronging,

But how did they stray?

In what thing

did they engage?

Worshipping

the calf (4:153)

The symbol of the herd,

To blindly serve

“Whatever” Leaders

Whether religious or others

Nay, should you serve

God First,

Only,

before you serve

the community dearest

nearest to you

that community is not you

God is He that our identity

belongs to

From the Truth, Never Swerve

Even if it be against you or yours

rich or poor (4:135)

Or Against Your calf.

If you do not,

you will follow the path

of communities other

That do the same

And fail.