The Journey to Here

1
Sons of Abraham,
Upon the vanished roads
of world demised
when other watery ways were found
around the cape
discovered by wind from western shores,

Those dusted traveled ties
that carried thoughts
as well as things
on sandy blowing idea routes,
in words whose fair exchange and trade
brought light,
like those of Ibn Rushd
returning golden flames
of Aristotle’s, Plato’s spark to life
Cordoban pages to ignite new thoughts again
from sleep
to be a renaissance begun.

There
now instead spread tubes
that suck and pump
us full,
compelled to have our oily juice
to keep our black
pooled drunken ways.

 
This stuff that matters most
demarks the lines
of threats and fear and hate
between
some of each against the Other ,
seen depraved by time.

From there come
those who make inquiry ash
and those who would be fuel
for all to burn
away the subjugated shame
and grasp again
a mythic golden age in rage
against those
they say who bring
a dismal seeping moral state
corrupted cause of their decline.

By this
these few with others’ silence
a war’s declared that casts
us all on sides
defying what was shared
from when beside the long gone roads,
the sparks of thought were Ummah praised
and kindled knowledge spread.