O My Child Poem by Mohammad Younus

O my child,
'See the pit of death on your side, '
Warned mother—calm yet anxious—
Calling her child to safety's embrace.
Yet the child walked away, head held high,
Blind to the thorns that line his chosen path.

O my child,
Do not let haughtiness veil your sight.
What lies beyond that horizon, I know—
A question haunts your soul's depths,
Buried beneath pride's shadow,
Whispering truths through your restless nights.

O my child,
The unseen foes, shadows in waiting,
Stand ready to shatter your fragile peace.
When you crumble to earth, lifeless,
It is not their hands alone to blame,
But the seeds of enmity you have sown.

O my child,
'Be strong.'
Spit not venom, but scatter pearls of wisdom;
These pearls will win you friends
And weave a cloak of peace for your heart,
Shielding you from death's cold embrace.

O my child,
I am your divine mother,
Your shelter, your eternal home.
What mother could watch her child
Step into flames without crying out?
Return, my lost one,
Rest in the cool cradle of my love.

O my child,
Beware false friends' empty fires,
Who burn on altars of hollow idols.
Why kneel to what is void of truth,
Forgetting the stream of grace within?
Return, my child,
To love's sacred womb, where you are whole—
Where I wait, forever, arms wide open.

MyKoul