Gold Wings Of Jibril

Gold Wings Of Jibril
© Surazeus
2024 01 11

Peering through window of apartment room, 
Zurah watches goldfinch in orchid tree 
flutter gold-tipped wings in warm evening breeze 
that swirls from purple waves of the White Sea. 
Yellow light flashes in blue evening sky 
with strange beauty like gold wings of Jibril, 

Practicing calligraphy for homework, 
Zurah writes one of the names of Allah, 
Al-Musawwir, Designer of the World, 
artist who fashions ideal shapes of things. 
Silver missile soars over city maze, 
terrible as pure gold wings of Jibril. 

Caressing soft fur of her black cat Sihr, 
Zurah gazes into his star-gold eyes, 
and laughs with delight when he leaps up high 
to catch ball of yarn dangling from the pole. 
Shrill shriek of the missile pierces the night 
at radiant blast from gold wings of Jibril. 

Holding leather book lit by candlelight, 
Zurah recites verse from ghazal of Rumi, 
"With sweet song expressing sun-lit excuse, 
fetch the beautiful-faced moon to our home." 
Tip of the missile pierces cement wall 
with star power from gold wings of Jibril. 

Surprised by flame of flower blooming bright, 
Zurah gasps at explosion of star eyes 
that opens portal through infinity 
where she floats bodiless on swirling waves. 
Blast of the missile knocks her at the wall 
with radiant glow from gold wings of Jibril. 

Crawling over rubble of gray cement, 
Zurah searches gloom of her collapsed home 
for her mother crushed by shadow of fear 
who still clutches her baby with no face. 
Specter of Death rises from missile shell 
that exploded from gold wings of Jibril. 

Glaring at Death who wears black tattered robe, 
Zurah stands on mound of her blasted home 
and offers him the last orange of her heart 
she found half-peeled in limp hand of her mother. 
Death tall and terrible as thunderclouds 
protects young girl with gold wings of Jibril. 

Walking signless road across the waste land, 
Zurah holds hands with Death as she sings 
sad melody of hot wind over sand 
while crickets chirp among waterless rocks. 
Small bloody footprints in the sands of time 
shows where she flies on gold wings of Jibril.