There are no calls to prayer now.
The minarets of the Grand Masjid
From where the plaintive calls
Of the muezzin once filled the air
Stand silent.
The wide open musalla where
Rows upon rows of the faithful
Once bowed towards the qibla
Lay empty.
Where have they gone
Who in that place sought Allah?
Oh weep, weep for them
Whose homes are shattered.
Whose souls are fragmented.
Who may never return.
Who may never be whole again.
Oh weep, weep for them.
And, after weeping,
Rise!
(Crying for Marawi is the pseudonym of an alumnus of the Mindanao State University in Marawi City, a former professor at its College of Engineering who has been writing for years as a personal hobby and will soon publish his first book of poetry and reflections).
