Like a fleeting shadow,

It journeys with us,

Sometimes behind us,

At other times ahead,

But never quite settled within us.

Frustrating us, perplexing us,

At our lack of ability to pin it down.

The more we pursue it,

The more we are eluded

And exasperated.

We seek it externally

In all the outdoor glitzy places,

Where throngs gather in cinema halls,

Or daring, blood-chilling amusement parks,

In flashy, tempting super-malls.

Through uplifting narcotics

Which pretend nothing was,

Making life a series of forgettings.

Pleasure mistaken for contentment,

One is short-lived,

The other a permanent state.

One fed by adrenaline,

The other nourished by thoughts of gratitude.

The error…? To seek it elsewhere,

When all along it is lodged inside,

Only to be unleashed by the

Remembrance of and connection

With the One Who positioned us here.

It is He Who is the source of contentment.

The world, nothing but a mere distraction,

A momentary delusive passage,

Created by Him, for us,

To help us attain our final destination.

Copyright Umm Hafsah @2018