Wal 'Asr
a poem
By time, tapering. Say, I’ve come to this world to be humbled. This mind and carapace slowed by weather of so many solar revolutions. And this hope, shy of its shadow slowly lengthening. By time, tapering. But say, my soul is as timeless as that primordial first breath; As strange and brave as the day it was conceived of Self more inward than I; and with a ravenous yearning as ancient as yours.
In love with this poem…it has such a clear yet delicate wistfulness…ahhhh! Why is there not a huge major poetry subset of Substack? Maybe there is and we just need to find them!
I can't help but read this as a dialogue with Surah al-Asr – your stanzas being a response to verses 2 and 3.
There is so much enormity in swearing "by time"; it always stuns me.
Thank you for sharing this!