Dear beloveds,
Recently a former university classmate of Nura’s posted on the beloveds beloveds group two beautiful poems that Nura had shared with her. Although I am sure that many beloveds knew Nura better than I, I can share a small memory of her.
Nura and a few adventurous female Sufi students had driven cross-country to see Sidi in Ogden, UT. On the way back east, Nura shared some of her poetry with us. Later, we were going through Rocky National Park and it was getting late. We needed a campground for the night but it was so dark that our attempts to find one failed. As we drove up and up the mountain, the night was so clear and the stars so bright and close, it looked as if we could reach up and touch them. Finally we came to a turnout. We were exhausted and decided to pull over to sleep. One beloved took the backseat of the car, another tried sleeping in the front. I crawled into the ample trunk. Nura laid her sleeping bag on the sidewalk in front of the car. At one point, a deer ambled along and Nura woke up face to face with the curious deer. They both startled and the deer jumped a retaining wall and ran into the dark.
Early the next morning, as the sun’s first rays hit the nearby mountaintop, I stuck my head out of the trunk to catch the view, then jumped out to wake the others. A nearby photographer dropped his jaw in amazement as we all emerged, quite bedraggled from the two cars to take in the beauty of one of the most spectacular sunrises I have ever seen.
Our next destination was a beloved’s rustic cabin outside of Estes Park. On the drive, Nura had us in stitches as she recounted her adventure with the deer. She was a good storyteller and knew just how to embellish the encounter. We arrived at the cabin after indulging in local cherry pies and fresh squeezed cherry juice. We had an amazing few days hanging out, hiking, sharing stories and laughing together.
What I will never forget, however, is when the group of us hiked over huge boulders to a place that was chosen as a sacred place. We began to recite al-wird and crows began to fly in from every direction. Maybe 10-15 crows landed in a large tree nearby. They all began to caw as we recited and we had the overwhelming feeling they had come to do dhikr with us. And that seems like a perfect lead into Nura’s first poem.
Warmly, Maryam H.
Gentle with the Birds
Jesus was gentle with the birds
he called to them and they alit
on his fingers, ate out of his hands
Jesus taught us to live in the moment
like the birds, and know that God cares for us
for god is the everflowing time current of love
Can you eat seed from the ground like the birds
and sing for the day, the dawn and the evening?
My father was gentle with the birds
a deep satisfaction in his chest
as he watched them eat the bird seed and bread crumbs
from the window ledge
he was not gentle with us, but I knew he was sad and I loved him.
I am a bird, gentle and sometimes recklessly soaring into heaven
I am learning the ground, and how to walk here.
Jesus is gentle with me, a body of love
a brother whose stride I match, whose passion
unfolds my wingspan, and like the birds
i am soaring.
Nura Clara Rose Sala collection of poetry
O
O the ocean of sound is the sound of the human soul
the sound of the human soul is the soul of the ocean
We are entering a great light
follow the laughing road home
the smiling road
the loving road
O the flight of the bird is the flight of the human soul
the human soul is the flight of the bird
O the voice of the waterfall is the voice of the human soul
the human soul is the voice of the waterfall
O the grace of a tree growing is the grace of the human soul
the grace of the human soul is a tree growing
O the delight of a child is the delight of the human soul
the delight of the human soul is a child’s delight
O the silence of the forest is the silence of the human soul
the silence of the human soul is the silence of the forest
O the flight from the cities is the flight of the human soul
the flight of the human soul is the flight from the cities
We are entering a great light
follow the laughing road home
the smiling road
the loving road
Nura Clara Rose Sala
Read Nura’s Obituary
In loving memory of Nura Clara Rose Sala, rahimahullah (may Allah give her Mercy)
Halimah says
What a beautiful tribute to a truly beautiful soul! Thank you.