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The Way, the Warrior, and the Dust
3 min readOct 22, 2024
Reflections on a fallen warrior inspired by Lao Tzu and verses of the Quran
The Way, the Warrior, and the Dust
by Munawar Ali KarimA lone figure sits on a sofa chair.
It's plush pillows covered in dirt
but still soft to the touch.
There is dust scattered abroad everywhere.
Like the life of this world
that the sufis describe as “habaa un manthura.”
Particles of debris made visible by a shining brightness cast from a bombed out window.
The figure sitting on that chair is bathed in this window light.
His right hand clasps the soft padding of the arm rests.
His face veiled in a warrior’s cloak
from the gaze of mechanical eyes.
In his left hand
he wields a stick—like the staff of Moses himself.
In his pocket
a packet of mints and prayer beads.
This figure sits, solitary, as if God is already calling him from the Mount.
Perhaps he sees a fire there
Beckoning at long last to him.
To ascension
and homecoming.
A lone figure sits on a sofa chair.
It’s plush pillows covered in dirt but still soft to the touch.
There is dust scattered abroad everywhere.
Mizrahi described his life
as the life of a true Warrior.
It’s true
that he had what Lao Tzu
called “The Way.”
As he raised his left hand
and threw…
