A Bird’s Vigil

In Ramadan, I hear the birds chirp, tweet, and pray all night and all day.

They hold vigil from sunset into midnight and beyond,

and until the sun peeks from the horizon,

and throughout the afternoon past when it reaches the highest point in the sky,

they chirp, tweet, and pray,

pausing possibly seconds at some point to pick at the minute morsels of food that they are able to receive.

Surely they must,

although I hear no break in their cries, solely in Ramadan,

and only this year have my ears been able to decipher from the noise their wails for mercy,

Or possibly my ears have now just been able to capture that sound because I too beg for his blessings and guidance from relief from the tribulations and worry that is life.

Even as I pen this, I hear them.

As I tire and lose the will to proceed in prostration, still I hear them,

Reminding me the seconds that are ticking towards the closing of rayyan (the door to jannah), Slowly but surely inch by inch.

I as a mighty human lack the strength that is needed,

while they as such small feeble creatures carry on and on and on chirp, tweet, pray

By Ambreen Beenish