Lifting his sword darts the wild brother
An offense before, now another
Underneath his feet the rubbles hiss,
‘The brother has received Satan’s kiss’.
A stray black dog follows the Brother
Howling aloud, calling another
A cloud of swirling dust becomes, breaks
Beneath the cloak that jerks and shakes.
‘Set my house straight’, mutters the Brother
He crosses a lane, and then another
By the window, he stands and listens
Wielding the sword that shines and glistens.
Familiar voices hears the Brother
First a strange verse, and then another
He enters the house with warnings none
And hears about overthrowing the sun.
The Sister looks at her dear brother
She hides a sheet, and then another
But the brother, he demands to know
And like never before comes the blow.
Struck on her face by her own brother
She wipes a tear, and then another
The blood that oozes from her pale lips
Is like a warning of an eclipse.
Times when they played, she and her brother
A silly game, and then another
They flash in front of her very eyes
She thinks of them, and shivers and cries.
The moments of past fun with Brother
Seem to pass one after another
Blood on his fists and a mouth clenched tight
He looks down from his towering height.
A silent wish for herself, her brother
First a prayer and then another
She looks into his eyes, straight above
Looking for signs of mercy or love.
Not undeterred, stands the tall brother
A pang of guilt, and then another
His blood - sister’s fluent, flowing blood
His throat feels choked, his eyes start to flood.
In a softer voice now asks Brother
Like a man changed into another
‘I need to know what you both now read’,
His voice cracks up, he begins to plead.
Washed and cleaned stands the altered brother
He receives a sheet, then another
‘Ta-Ha’, he reads, he reads and he cries
The truth now flashes before his eyes.
When the truth dawns on sister’s brother
A flood of mercy, then another
The pain of the blow is now so sweet
The Sister smiles at Satan’s defeat.
This poem is part fiction - inspired by a part of Umar (ra)’s life. Read the real story at http://islam.ru/en/content/story/how-umar-ibn-al-khattab-became-muslim
