Ramadan: Then and Now

1.
A new night

of the sacred month

the thin slice of the moon; the crescent

visible only a few minutes

to the naked eye


Greetings one to the other: Ramadan Mubarakh


And a few hours later

sounds of drums

Wake up! Wake up!

have a meal,

a simple glass of water!

Before the first light,

before you begin the fast,

make the intention

Wake up! Wake up!


And the day progresses, a slowing down;

restaurants closed, coffee houses empty.


And workers begin their trek home early


Late afternoon, the speciality stores open

selling the special once a year snacks,

crowds flocking and moving hurriedly

collecting their Iftar (break fast)


And mothers prepare the traditional meals

taking extra time

for the fasting family


Only an hour before the sun sets

city streets empty,

as in a curfew,


And now only a few minutes,

family and friends gather around the table

making small talk

awaiting the moment...silence...


Allah-hu Akbar
Allah-hu Akbar...


And the siren, signalling the sun dipping below the horizon


And together, some with dates, some with a pinch of salt

"We take this food in the name of Allah, most gracious, ever merciful"


Prayers given

and later friends and family

mill around, some content

others tired, but all happy

on this day of Ramadan...

Peace




2.

A new night

beginning of the sacred month

the thin slice of the crescent

visible only a few minutes

to the naked eye


Awaiting the news, here, far away

in a land pretentiously secular

with In God We Trust

visited only on Sunday


Awaiting watching the Internet for the crescent news

And some calls made

Relatives far flung: Chicago, New York, London,

Frankfurt and Los Angeles


Yes! The crescent has been sighted! Ramadan Mubarakh!

Over miles and miles and miles of telephone lines


The masjid schedule consulted, and alarm clock set.

For the meal before first light


Work the next day, same tempo, same schedule.

The boss and co-workers: "Oh, you're fasting?" "Why?"

Not quite comprehending the beauty of a simple ritual:

"Come, we're going to see a movie after work; we won't make you eat"(!)


Going home, 1/2 hour before sunset

from the 9-5 routine, never ending, never changing


Arriving home, break fast with some friends

meal cooked the night before.


Remembrance of Ramadan in Karachi, Casablanca, Lahore, Cairo

and Dhaka


A mood somber; bombs, death, tyranny, and a circus of impeachment


A simple prayer; perhaps one day we will fast in San Francisco,

as we fasted in Dhaka, Cairo, Lahore, Casablanca and Karachi


And the fast is broken

and later friends and family

mill around, some content

others tired, angry, grieved

and all somber

on this day of Ramadan...

Peace