Losing oneself,
Can this ever happen,
‘How can we lose ourselves?’ one asks.
Lose yourself in a piece of poetry,
In history, philosophy and psychology books,
Lose yourself in music,
The cadence, rhythm, beat and pulse,
In a world of make-believe, feelings and stories.
Lose yourself in a walk on the beach,
In the crashing, cresting waves,
In a rich world of sea creatures carrying on mysterious lives.
Lose yourself gazing at a star-studded sky,
In a galaxy, a milky way, an infinite unexplored world
Beyond our imagination,
When the world around you is for once silent, asleep.
Lose your spirit by diving into an unprecedented depth,
The depth of religion,
Spiritual ecstasy, renewal, rejuvenation.
Lose yourself by connecting to the One,
Connecting to the Prophets and Angels,
Connecting to the essence of humanity and the bonds of brotherhood,
Bridging the path between the world of the living and the everlasting.
14th night of Ramadan 02, Nov 18, 2002
This poem was originally published on AramcoExPats.com in 2003.
Nimah Ismail Nawwab is a Saudi poet descended from a long line of Makkan scholars. An English writer and poet, as well as photographer, her essays and articles on Saudi society, customs, Islam, art, crafts, cuisine and calligraphy, have been published in Saudi Arabia and abroad.