53.
although he abandoned his body
his animal companions did not abandon him
they kept vigil around the grave
day and night
preventing view of his decaying corpse
surrounded but left untouched
for many months,
some say for over a year,
the animals remained
yet somehow they did not waste away
during the course of their fast
this is why none doubted
that majnuun was still alive
even if some thought it peculiar
he would keep such an extended pilgrimage
at layla’s grave
it was only when
the last bit of flesh
dropped as dust from his bones
that the animals began to depart
one by one,
group by group
back into the wild
that first gazelle was the last to leave
the clean white bones of majnuun
now in plain sight
they seemed to shine upon layla’s grave
when finally spied
a few brave men approached to see
the skeleton of majnuun
there it laid,
as if placed with perfect artistic precision,
for those who could see beauty
within death’s exposition
so they summoned the clan of amiir
to gather and wash the bones for burial
majnuun’s uncle was among those who came
although their tears were heavy
with solemnity
there was a sense of relief
that his long suffering
had finally come to an end
people scattered from layla’s clan came too
to show their respects
including layla’s mother
now that majnuun was gone
she vowed to take to her grave
the secrets layla left for him
although some of these secrets
were metaphorically revealed
by the lovers’ deaths
despite the past animosity
for the role in majnuun played in layla’s clan
being ravaged twice
they joined in petitioning
for what the people of arabia wished for
that majnuun’s bones
be buried beside layla’s grave
especially since his decomposed flesh
was already the soil upon it
and so it was on that day
members of the two clans gathered
in a spirit of peace
to facilitate these two virgin lovers
being united in death
it was not lost
that they both died
for this prize denied them while alive
the tears of both clans mixed
to anoint what became a belated wedding day
their tears the substitute
for the lovers’ tears of joy
and fall they did, so many tears
moistening the soil covering both graves
a testament of the truth of their love
a love eternally piercing
the reach of every single day
and beyond...
❍ ● ❍