Anubis on 9/11
I am Anubis
Guardian of souls
Traveling between life and life
I stand at the threshold
I stand in the twilight
Where life ends
And begins
On September 11
Thousands stood there with me
Their life journeys interrupted
Brought together
In a single moment
In shocked silence
In confusion
Alone
Across the threshold
Stood the Divine
Sorrowful and grim
Beckoning those
Who stood with me
In shocked silence
Who stood with me
In confusion
Escorting them
To a new abode
A place of joy
A place of light.
But not all
Not the fanatics
Not the true believers
Who meted out death
As punishment
Who meted out death
As justice
Certain of divine blessings
Certain of martyrdom
Certain of Paradise
They were wrong
Certitude blinded them
Passion consumed them
They could not see
The Prophet weeping
Abraham and
The Galilean
Weeping
Their eyes reddened
By the dust
Of injustice
By the dust
Of dishonor
From a desert
Where the oasis
Of mercy
Where the oasis
Of compassion
Is not to be found
So the fanatics
Waited
So the true believers
Waited
Certain of Paradise
Across the threshold
The Divine became a Lady
Was she Isis?
Was she Fatima?
Was she Miriam?
Was she Kali?
It mattered not
Across the threshold
She stood
Beckoning
To the fanatics
The true believers
Escorting them
To a new abode
A place of horror
A place of darkness
The would be martyrs
Were shocked
The would be martyrs
Were confused
For standing before them
Was Set, the Murderer
For standing before them
Was Ämit, the Destroyer
Beckoning them
To Ämit's abode
Here shall they stay
With those they despised
And who despised them
With those they hated
And who hated them
With those they feared
And who feared them
They protested
When Paradise was denied
They protested
When led to Ämit's abode
Their protests
Are unheeded
The Divine
The merciful One
The compassionate One
Disguised as a Lady
Does not hear their pleas
For mercy
Does not hear their pleas
For compassion
And remains unmoved
One among them
Turned to the Lady
And said:
"You condemn me with evildoers"
"You did evil"
She answered
"I fought a Holy War"
He told Her
"No war is holy”
She answered
"They must die
For their wrongs"
He insisted.
"Death is not meant to be punishment"
She answered.
And he then asked
The Question:
"How long must I stay with my enemies?"
And she gave
The Answer:
"Until one of them becomes your friend”
And She left him
In Ämit's abode
Will it be for a moment?
Will it be for eternity?
I am Anubis
Guardian of souls
Traveling between life and life
I stand at the threshold
I stand in the twilight
Where life ends, and begins
Tomorrow
How many shall stand there with me?