Poetry Performance

Okay,

are you guys doing

all right?

clothes,

always is due to a lot was magnificent and is as perfect and his attributes undeniable in his presence. All praise is due to a long has the most magnificent names a phrase that is forever due to him

eternally remains

the most perfect

greetings and salutations that are complete and everlasting upon the best of his creation was that

he perfected his rank and elevated station because he taught us what we did not know. And he gave me He gave me He gave me a lot, because He loved us. So,

welcome to the grand opening today.

It's my first time coming to Toledo, Ohio. And Mashallah, what is keeping the community it is very, very truly inspiring.

Essentially, this for the youth run by the youth in Europe, we call that fubu for us by us.

You may not understand them, but just assume that they're

gonna understand it. Okay, so, the,

what I wanted to share with you today, first of all, the first thing that I like to do when I come to a new city, is I like to just find out where everybody's from. Okay. Just find out where everybody's from. So feel free to shout out where you're from.

Usually first, usually they don't wait.

Okay, excellent. We have

have a hard time because everybody else is like people are saying Bruges now.

I'm from New York, and New York has five boroughs. And one Bureau is very, very proud. Brooklyn.

If you go anywhere across the world, and you ask for more than from, they'll say I'm from Brooklyn, and I the only ones down from the United States of America. They'll say I'm from Brooklyn, Egyptians are exactly like that. They've never been to Egypt. They'll say I'm from Egypt.

Even if their

grandfathers

so what else do we have?

never come across.

Okay, so he's very, very rare. You guys. Take care of him.

What else we have Jordan.

Jordan, Jordan. All right.

Jordan.

Very quiet.

Very quiet.

Okay, about Syria.

Syria.

Okay, great. Bobby's done.

Alright

guys,

America

my hometown.

Jerusalem

is my heart.

I flashes serious smile.

From the start

my body's done.

Somalia joining two continents

Libyan lace already in this position, Moroccan passion,

passion,

passion

and Tunisian position

include

French cuisine, American attitude,

Spanish soils, and Malian sound of future shiny.

My president is where I spent my spear from Kashmir.

Oh, you're from Kashmir. Okay, I'm here from Kashmir towards a Malaysian rising sun. My body is indivisible. I am a mama of

all right.

You can save a lot of love.

You can do that. So what is happening?

All right.

Okay, so this is analog youth. And I love what you mentioned about allowing the youth to make mistakes. I love that because in so many, or I come from the east coast, when the US makes mistakes, they bring the army on him. They try to keep them, expel them, get rid of them, you know, because they can't handle people's mistakes. And young people, of course, are going to make mistakes and

allow for people to make mistakes and kill them out on the battlefield. He said, I was like, No, you're lying, and he killed him. And killing is huge, doesn't get much bigger than

you can open his heart. But guess what he still put us on in charge of the last army that he sent out at 17 years old. He allowed him to make mistakes, he corrected him. And he still sent him out because of the goodness that was in him. So I love that concept. Allow Please allow for us to make mistakes. But be there also be there you have to be there because they need guidance. They need your wisdom, they need your expertise. But

don't put them to the side. And don't repel them because of the mistakes that they make. So the next poem that I wanted to cite

is called until I see you until I see you. And this poem is a letter that I wrote was lost.

I always wanted to write him a letter. So I wrote him a letter. And

the concept is is that he says

he said one time that I wish that I could see

also how he said he said

he said no your mouse Tom, but who am I?

People who believe in me and they never saw me. But they wish that they could see me even if they gave up their wealth and their families. So we hope that helps.

allows us to see him so

this form is called until I see you go ahead and press play.

You are

the best person I've ever known.

The best friend I never met. your sincerity to me is blinding enough to completely canvass the world with every respect, honor, love, protect, while creating a window for me to zoom in on the important things but those things are the things that I forget or neglect, I will do better. Your own mind is fine not because of me or mine or wounds that heal with time or those with die for $1 sign but because of promises divine. So when we feel like we're at our worst and our sad is because our hearts to burst It feels like there are times when there are angels within our lines are hovering over square the chance of freedom in the areas of Titans based upon our next we smile, for history

has always been on our side. Yours is an omen that simply does not die. I am sorry for my weakness. For every time I've been ashamed of your name and ask someone to call me mo for not knowing that I'm about to defend you and the true cartoons or movies or accused you of the most heinous of accusations for not getting over my face or reading or waiting for Hollywood to put you on the big screen. So I didn't know something about you. As Steven Spielberg, or Mel Gibson or Johnny Depp was somehow able to recreate the twinkle in your eye, or a beautiful piece as well as a scaffold on your forehead, frantically fighting gravity not wanting to pull up your body I keep thinking of seeing

and if you would smile at me, a thought gives me goosebumps You told me to meet you at the pool. So on that day, I hope and pray that I will see through the crowd that angels berry King as I sprint at breakneck speed, I hope you recognize it's me. I will crowd the companions to get access to your vision, I will obey my thirst by quenching it from your hands. So, until that day, I will pray I will stand and I will pray as if my feet are holding the earth through splitting, if I make you cry, because the cry No words that I used to mean from books with all content pages, and to do justice to your voice, your face, your sense, your touch, you see my messenger of Allah has always existed

between the curves and dots and the Arabic alphabet. So

in 3d and whenever other dimensions interactive brings with it will be an overlord of senses. I will fall in line with your shadow.

Also, I did not do justice. So another eyes Oh, have you heard her story of how you pathways in her chin nurture over and over and over again and try every single time for we never suffered a disaster that was greater than what we suffered before our souls merged with flesh entering an earth that was without you does this guy even recognize anymore, and I will sit in the shade of your smile. And we'll ask you your story directly from your mouth as we sip on sensitive ice cold. And we'll be terribly embarrassed if you ask me for money because I never did anything right.

And then if you let me I would love for a hug.

You have to win in Ohio.

Working on I'm working on a very bad anyway.

The next piece that I wanted to do is called a nice pair. It's about stolen. It's actually about

I translated most of the the amount of shopping and has a verse where he says

is that he?

He says do you discount that and you literally as you don't understand what the prayer accomplishes the arrows of the night do not Mr. Target, but they have a span and the span soon finishes. So this is called an ice cream.

He's dance

He stands because he must. He stands when two hands claps over his heart less than bust, or burst with a variety of emotions, calm fear, courage, the needs of fulfill his trust that weighs on his shoulders. So he stands, his feet sinking in the carpet in a small room in a seemingly smaller apartment enveloped by the darkness, but his eyes are familiar with the night so he sees the dancing of the shadows clear. And he recites verses he loves dearly.

What's going

on, the owner of all kingdoms, you give him power in the minions whom you Will you take it away from who you will, and you honor whom you will you whom you will, and your hand is all good, you are able to do all things.

And he vows any vowel such ease that it would cause them to be deceived, for his shoulders don't easily move. But that same back absolutely refuse to bow to anyone other than the one whose words he just recited. And so he rises, his body camouflage and matches the stillness in the air, his lips moves off the tongue, certainly not heart aware and I can get what you withholding and withholding what

is without arms. So he raises his arms by his sides and he begins the conversation again and again he can fight hands towards the sky again and again he cries.

Well, this last

model will stain entire nations on his mind, they will not be harmed from his side alone.

Alone.

Aloha,

Aloha.

Barbie.

Meaning they are far from him. But in his heart and mind they are by his side they are his joy and pride they will not be harmed, not from his side. And so he stands as he has to five times a day or sometime near the end of the night with his hands above his heartless and burdens. He replies he cries out calling for divine assistance. He believes in angels. He knows they arrive in an instant. So he employs their arrival. And he falls, he falls so that a nation can rise. He falls facilitating attires demise is the sweetness of frustration he falls, begging forgiveness for a transgression that will impede the journey of the arrow that he is sending of his window to their target. And his

small room, in the ceiling in smaller apartment in the darkness.

Okay, so

before I do my last piece

when I did the until I see you in part, I mentioned whole Steven Spielberg and Mel Gibson and Johnny Depp and the movies about the promise of Alliance ism. I think I was When, when, rather than having met Sam, he was telling me about all the programs that was happening here. The one that got me the most excited was the theater club. And maybe you can say because I do poetry that are the most exciting thing. But I really do believe that the arts has a huge effect on culture. We all know this. People, they listen to music all day people, they watch movies all day. And we really, really, really as Muslims need to step our game up when it comes to the arts. I know I know, this is Doctor

town, I understand that. But

in the future, right this is the first generation came in the established misdeeds. And now the next generation is already establishing community centers. Just like the first generation is called came and they did the doctor, engineer, Doctor, engineer, Doctor engineer, they saw that the next generations are also going to branch out into other fields that are just as needed, such as studying film, such as study, study history, just by studying the production and all of these things that we need them through and move our stories forward. So if I were to ask you to ask any young people, young people here

So the if you were to ask a young person, okay young person right there, Mr. Yellow Jacket? Yes.

Have you heard of mathematics?

Did you watch the movie?

Did you read the book by Alex Haley?

Did you read the book?

Have either watch the movie or read the book?

Okay, so you're okay, now?

Keep your hands up. How many of you if you read the book, put your hand down?

Okay. If you watch the movie alone, then put your hand up.

Okay, yeah, what's my point? My point is, is that you are always going to have more people watch the movie, then read the book, and Islamic history, you have an identity, I would argue that when you're talking about it, or you're talking about identity, it comes from three things. First, is your belief. What do you believe? We believe in Islam, we believe in Allah, we believe in the law says that? No, we believe in this idea. We believe in these things, and that governs our actions. And our identity. Number one, the second is your history.

where you come from, and you guys all study

the Ross leaves over from you from Africa, what is the first thing that they did was they got rid of their history, they changed their last names, because it's very easy for you to convince, it's very difficult for you to convince their sleep, if they know that they are the son of Prince so and so. Or they're from this tribe, and they have this history and this richness, they know, they know that you're not going to be able to understand. So they got their histories. And it's easier to subdue them. So when you have generations who grew up here, and you don't know their history, they don't know where they came from. They don't know anything about Morocco, or anything about Jordan, or

Palestine or any of these places that you're talking about. They kind of just came out of thin air. As far as they're concerned, they were born here. And they were born to parents who didn't really teach them that much about it.

That it helps them because to do we're talking about identity crisis as one of the reasons why they don't know where they came from. And so they want to be a part of something to be his language.

You guys see this, every online, every minute that you go to the it's all time and a lot of times people who speak French, the francophones they go stand in one section. And he was able to do this in another session. And he was the garlic goes in another session, and He will speak addition.

Everybody else? Why? Because it's just easier. It's part of your identity. And He will speak American English, right? They all say that. And that's why, you know, the generation of Americans who were born here and raised here, they mixed with so many other ethnicities, because they all speak English, it's fine for them. So language is a very important aspect of identity as well. However, our history is connected to our language, how the majority of of information about Islamic history or the history of our countries, I became focused on English. So you don't want you have to read it every now and yeah, you have to speak Arabic. It's not translated into English.

As an Arabic also, it's not translated to English. Where am I going to find this information on history?

That's why I believe the arts are important. It's kind of weird, right? But a lot of people they watch movies about these things. So if I ask person about Malcolm X, they probably watch the movie if you ask someone about who William Wallace is they probably watch Braveheart if you ask them about Oscar Schindler the bobby watch Enders list, right? But what about spotting DNA up and what up? What about the author who conquered North Africa and then he came to the Atlantic Ocean and he said if I knew that there was a Land Beyond this ocean, I would traverse it to call them to worship allies. Okay, we have giants in our history, but they're buried in books.

Other languages so I believe that the art has an important place in creating a Muslim identity. I hope that this year cloud inshallah is supported and that we're able to create people who are very familiar with the mediums and anyway

we come now to the last piece which is gentle

effort we're trying to go rate

so

you don't need to convalesce. Just keep it on? Actually you can. You can just forget it that. Sorry. This is

our home. It's on YouTube or downplay it, but just search for it there. What I need from you right now, you can turn on lights, but I just need for everybody to close their eyes.

Just close your eyes. Close your eyes. Close your eyes.

I'm funny every time I do this, no matter when people still have their eyes open and it's like

I see the whiteness with a black.in the middle and I'm using your eyes open

and close your eyes. I will not take anything from your table.

Please

close your eyes and imagine this

eternal bliss, your every wish at your fingertips and more perched on a throne near a string so serene and exquisite a scene you've never seen yet you still dream of Mormon.

God is paid. God is fear.

God is grief. Gone our teen years idols speech you shall never hear and the profits make up your social sphere. And more. The martyr is righteous and the truth blue. You are from them. They review they held tightly to what they knew was true and to join them you did too. There's more may is shaped to restrain their gaze lost in a glass for days and days. On end frolic, as a child plays with a breath that leaves your lips His praise of the one who gave you more. Imagine you and your father is the same imagine showing off your book with no shame. Imagine life. However, there's stories to entertain now imagine

knowing your name what could be there more gardens underneath which rivers flow a goal so far? Yes, so close a journey when taken for those who know tell me do you not wish to go for more for all the bounties? All the grades, all the sights and the smells and the tests will be forgotten without a trace? as it flows in time and space. When you see his face

was an excellent master of a miserable slave.

You forgot he forgave they gave you guidance and you still straight you asked for mercy that he gave and more

and more.

waiver.

I really appreciated bother you guys. Thank you for indulging me