PART TWO
28.
time is a funnel that doesn’t gather sand
rather disperses it
and something in him
unconsciously sought solace within
the landscape of scattered grains
hoping that something
within their slow journey to dust
would reveal a means to escape
or twist the strands of fate
allowing him to knot an union with his beloved
that seemed otherwise denied by destiny
although the sands witness much
they offer no advice
within this vacuum of guidance
his wandering demented his hope
and induced a despondency upon his family
as continuing accounts of his madness
trickled in as rivulets to their ears
including his last dash of ruin
into the devouring desert with broken chains
for weeks a search party sought out majnuun
amidst the echos of the mountains
and by luck or fate
they stumbled upon
one of his constantly changing hiding places
a cousin of his approached him
playmates since their childhood days
but to the delirious eyes of majnuun
he was a complete stranger
the only entity that survived the erasure of his past
was layla,
layla alone
and the only entity
that mattered now in the present
was layla,
layla alone
and all of the future
with its myriad of possibilities
was reduced to layla,
layla alone
mention of any other topic
sent him into a silent stupor
of incoherency
when it became obvious
they would not be able to convince his return
they sought to seize him
but with a superhuman strength
he overwhelmed the many strong men
and fled with a speed
that made the fleet-footed slow
as he escaped into the distance
he turned to yell
“qays is no more
he has died
a violent death within my mind
here,
there is only love for layla,
layla alone”
when this account was brought to his parents
his mother ran away in tears
to tear her shirt in private
and his father
resigning to the prevailing circumstances
buried his son
in a grave within his own mind
from that point forward
he ceased all searches
because although his son’s body was still alive
the person he formerly was was dead
his own mind had effaced his family and clan
from all recognition
* * *
as he became an exile to the human world
the realm of apparitions
made majnuun more than a frequent guest
a passing spirit here, a wandering ghost there
he encountered these often enough
that he no longer viewed them
as haunting or frightening
the only thing that kept him from conversing
with them
was that they never mentioned layla
that was until he appeared
unnoticed in the twilight of dusk
his camel approached the thornbush
under which majnuun laid in fatigue
then suddenly
the stranger was upon him
one could not tell
whether he was a man of flesh,
a deceased one draped in bodily form,
or a spirit in disguise
the stranger sat upon his stilled camel
to utter his virulent discourse
to the man who was already fallen
“is it for the sake of layla
that you reduce yourself to such demise
to become a forsaken heathen
t’would be better to abandon
with complete disregard and forgetfulness
that deceptive, insidious woman
you worship as your beloved
why trust your heart to one who betrays you
who secures your perdition with neglect
has she sent word into these parts
to inform you how she has taken hand in marriage
majnuun rose to defend her honor
he had heard similar insults about her before
yet something drove the point
of this stranger’s dagger
deep, deep within
was she really married
and if so, why not send word
“for now over a year
she has not fled her matrimonial bed
to join you in these savage sands
why depart the warmth of a noble’s bed
where she is caressed and kissed
and raptured into sweaty ecstasy
to yelp her moans of lust
why should she depart the good life
for this,
for you
one who has reduced himself
to a pitiful madman”
although the words cut painfully
what hurt the most was the possibility
of layla being married
in a stunned silence
he could not refute or escape
the stranger’s words
“do you think she even remembers you
ha!
surely not
but don’t blame her
it is a curse that plagues her whole gender
who are quick to promise complete devotion
and even quicker to break that promise
one day you are the glorious sun
who alights their entire universe
the next day,
you are discarded soil she bends to poop upon
any trust you grant to them
will only gain you unending pain
all women are foxes
who grin to hide their sharpened fangs
which are eager to rip your flesh to shreds
their peace comes from your suffering
their truth is a poisonous hypocrisy
their beauty is a snare
that decapitates the intelligence of men
save yourself from this stupidity
if you wish to ever live again”
majnuun was not swayed
by these reckless attacks upon layla’s honor
this rubbish thrown upon the integrity of all women
was quickly dismissed
what tore a hole into his soul
was her marriage
anything but that
if this was fate’s verdict
it now locked the gate
to secure their lifelong separation
the customs of their time rendered moot
nearly all possibility their union manifesting
and if he could not be with her in this life
what was the use of continuing to live
the weight of such a heavy anchor
plunged instantly through the floor of his heart
dragging his body down with a brutal gravity
that smacked his head upon a rock on the ground
a loud cracking sound
that sprayed blood upon the thornbush and sand
as blood collected under his severed flesh
it was as if he fell again
to crack his head upon the rock again
which spurned another bloody fall
and yet another fall
and yet another
until his unconscious body was dying
in a pool of bloody sand
with the thorns from the thornbush hovering above
ready to pierce his escaping soul
the stranger smiled at the ease of his victory
yet it was short lived
within seconds the thornbush began to shake
as four angels emerged from it
their countenances fixed in anger
they all held swords tightly in their hands
and in their eyes were reflected
the flames of hellfire
burning with yearning hunger
the stranger jumped to the ground
upon his knees, pleading for mercy
the angels surrounded him
their swords raised, ready to slay
and he could see the soul of majnuun
floating above his body
the binding connection fading
with the continuing trickle of blood
his body pulsed with a wave of convulsions
unfurling his corpse-like figure upon the ground,
more limp, more lifeless
his breaths now burdened gasps
that seemed to heave toward death
with a willing embrace
sensing his life was tethered to majnuun’s survival
the stranger rushed to his wounded head
and cradled it with a touch seeking forgiveness
the flowing blood attempting to abate
“good sir,
listen to me
please awake
all i said was false
a cruel jest taken too far
layla remains as true to you
as she ever was...”
with that,
he was revived
his eyes reopened partially
to be greeted
by the stranger’s smile
the stranger looked around to see
the angels had vanished
but to secure their non-return
he spoke again
“she has made her marital bed
a tent outside her husband’s home
and forbids his entry
chastity remains her nuptial vow
unsullied is her devotion to you
such that even if time and distance
separate your bodies
she won’t allow anything
to come between the love you share...”
and on and on the stranger went
to comfort the lover’s heart and encourage
his recovery
yet as the blood ceased in streaming
the comfort became more bitter than sweet
for the stranger’s hand was not layla’s hand
and his words, although about her,
were also from her
and this affirmed
that the distance between them remained
and was now fixed with the obstacle of her marriage
the realization of this realization
made majnuun cry
a river of tears
drifting upon the bloodied sand
in the shadows of the night
❍ ● ❍