Empty Mosques Poem by fraidoon warasta

empty mosques
simplicity was our motto,
pleasurably disdaining others,
our way. i used to go there
always for friday prayer,
praying but not listening
to that imam who feigned
to be a gold-tongued orator

after the prayer, we the three
boys had a task, getting the
buckets and collect money
for palestine. some virtuous
men gave even more than
20 euros. in the kitchen i put
the half of it in my pocket
and the rest was imam's share,
he loved casino and perfumes
more than palestine and
prayers for them

on saturday evening i was
celebrating my time lavishly
with my thug friends in a night
club nearby where bearded men
were not welcome. we loved
colourful cocktails and the
strippers, but the girls with
glittering skirts were more
tempting and deserved to be
treated on...and it was my job...

nowadays the mosques are
closed, but not temporarily
at home the mosque-goers
watching turkish series, netflix
and the imam and some
god fearing men watch other
films after 0: 00 and almost
every day, enjoying dutch
chicken and cheese

the mosques are closed due
to the covid restrictions, the
fear of dying and facing the
god they've been afraid of
and even worse afraid of
some islamophobics who
might attack or even open
fire on them during the
prayer, making them martyrs

lately i saw one of those blessed
ones in the red light district,
who used to stand in the first
queue for the friday prayer. guess
what? ! he was haggling with a
dark-haired sex worker to
give him a ramadan discount

now i look back on those
bright and sweet days
without any regret. i really
thank palestine for being
so generous. i know that
god loves cheeky little boys
more than bushy men who
fear him. that money
never reached palestine
and the nearness to god
will remain an assumption
wassalaam!


fraidoon warasta
10 november 2021
limburg