Let my crime be poetry.
Let my crime be poetry for what was written for me was written by the greatest of Writers. “Muktab. It is written.”
Let my crime be poetry where other wanderers, worshippers, and lovers have drunk fragrant wine, have sung songs, have hunted stags and wild boars in the forests, have loved women … Beauties as ethereal as clouds, created by the magic of my poets and geniuses, have visited them at night, and have whispered in their ears wonderful tales that have set their brain in a whirl. Let my crime be poetry where they have climbed to the peaks of Elburz and Mont Blanc, and from there have seen the sunrise and have watched it at evening flood the sky, the ocean, and the mountain-tops with gold and crimson. Let my crime be poetry where they have watched from there the lightning flashing over their heads and cleaving the storm clouds. Where they have seen green forests, fields, rivers, lakes, and towns.
I’m a Muslim and a writer. “Come, come, whoever you are. Wanderer, worshiper, lover of leaving. It doesn’t matter. Ours is not a caravan of despair. Come, even if you have broken your vows a thousand times. Come, yet again, come, come.” – Rumi
Let my crime be poetry. Perhaps it is somewhere along my secondhand vindictive streak where you’ll see why the prophets were called poets and criminals.
Perhaps I’ll meet the middle east too similar to how it comes naturally for the moon to jubilantly pull a tide and wax and wane. Wise men, poets, and sorcerers were beseeched to the deserts. I’ll be quenching my own thirst for knowledge there in the same way Santiago the Shepherd, in the book The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo, met the Old King of Salem for the first time who, under the scorching heat of the sun, approached the boy while he was sitting on a bench for a sip of wine to satisfy his thirst.
I imagine a simple and good life along the way, all the while I’m writing the whole time and invigorating myself with all of the best things in life that are free – iridescent sceneries capturing the purity of a life that once was, and livestock flocking along lush and serene fields of green along the highway on the way home.
Life is a beautiful country estate all around us, from the small birds that come to feed at our windowsills, to the rolling hills and valleys that make up our countrysides and cities. The landscaping is perfectly manicured, with large reflecting pools and sculptures in the courtyard. A magnificent oak tree stands in the center of the yard, shading a table set for lunch. The floors in sprawling manors shine brightly and reflect the light of the sun, which streams through the windows.
Life is a sinuous river, winding through the hills and valleys of the planet. The water is clear and refreshing, and it reflects the light of the sun. It passes under bridges made of wood and stone. It flows around large rocks that are worn smooth by its touch.
Life is a thick forest with trees reaching up to the sky. The leaves are green and lush, and they rustle in the wind. A deer drinks from a stream that flows through the forest floor. A hawk soars high above the canopy, searching for prey.
Life is a majestic mountain range that stretches across an entire continent. The mountains are tall and sharp, reaching into the clouds where there is snow even in warm weather. Trees grow on their peaks, clinging to life with their roots deep in the rock.
A beautiful life is a gift that glows with the warm and golden light of a summer’s afternoon, basking in the gentle warmth and peace of the countryside. The fragrance of flowers perfumes the air, and you can hear the birds singing as they soar high above you, calling to one another in their melodious voices. The sun rises slowly over the mountains, bathing the world in light as it spreads its rays across the land. It is at this time of day that you can best appreciate nature’s beauty: the lush greenery of a forest, or the magnificent sight of a waterfall cascading down into a river far below.
You can walk through an ancient forest, marveling at its giant trees that have stood for hundreds of years, or you can hike through high peaks and feel as if you’re standing on top of the world. You can dive deep into the ocean and explore the creatures that live there—creatures that look like they come from another planet entirely—or you can soar above cities and imagine what life must be like for those below you.
The birds sing their songs as they fly through the air, catching bugs as they go. The air smells like grass and earth and flowers.
Being a Muslim, I take up the role of a leader as a global citizen in an age when the world has become a smaller place. I embrace universal leadership traits inspired by the values of my faith and work together with those around me to transform the world into a more peaceful place for everyone.
By way of introduction, I have raised at least 15 million pesos in sales and marketing for Khadmu Office Interiors.
As a leader, I value qualities such as integrity, honesty, accountability, sense of responsibility, and strong will among others and I am delighted to exhibit these qualities in spades.
Inspired by the values of our faith, I work with other Muslims towards tackling the root causes of poverty and creating a fairer world for all. As a Muslim, I believe that every human being has the right to quality education, access to safe drinking water and nutritious food, as well as the ability and resources to be self-sufficient for their families and communities.
Providing Zakat and Sadaqah and demonstrating a commitment to excellence in our jobs across all industries as global leaders to serve the community are two ways in which we can make these things happen.
Zakat, the third pillar of Islam, is an act upon all qualifying Muslims and is the undertaking of submitting a set percentage of his or her profitable wealth to charity. Sadaqah, which is also encouraged, is an act of voluntary charity that benefits those in need.
I work with other Muslims who are dedicated to helping build a better future for all people, regardless of their beliefs, socioeconomic status, or other factors from addressing short-term needs to addressing long-term issues. In their own ways, they are all committed to serving the world’s most vulnerable people by tackling the root causes of poverty and strengthening communities with their areas of work including giving the gift of education among others.
Having a highly ambitious mindset as a Muslim professional, I’m driven by challenges and goals. I have been able to achieve outcomes fast in difficult circumstances by tackling complicated difficulties within a short time frame.
A crucial skill is my ability to recruit and groom potential leaders.
I have the commitment and the willingness to learn as well as the ability to learn in the shortest time possible.
At the end of the day, I always say that I have a choice. I choose to be true to my principles. I choose to not let the injustices of this world change me. I choose to remember who I am, despite all the hardships life has thrown at me. I can guarantee you that I’m a very imperfect person, but I can also guarantee you that I take full accountability and full responsibility for every choice I have made that has brought injustice upon others, along with the goodness of my choices that others have rejoiced in – and I am always willing to admit when I’m wrong and change myself for the best. At the end of the day, I want to build a life I can say that I’m responsible for. A life where I do not blame the government, anyone, or whatever circumstances in life. A life where I can rise above my greatest enemy – and that is myself. A life wherein I can truly say that I choose to always be a good person.
I may not say it that often, but having been able to get an education (I studied at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines) and having been able to get a good job and having been able to accomplish some things at both have never made me any more superior as a human being to a street vendor who sells balut or any other food for twelve hours straight from very early in the morning on regular basis. Sometimes, these street vendors have three or five children who have already graduated from college.
I have often said that I didn’t pay a single peso for my education since I was in kindergarten, that’s why when I got paid for the first time as a working student in college, I was already trained to never think highly of myself for the simple reason that my parents paid the full amount for my education – not me. And now, I always say to my mom that it’s because of her that I can now somehow stand tall and hold my head up high next to a balut vendor because I can now somehow contribute almost the same way to society in the same way they have always had.
It has never made me less of a person to say any of these, and if all the twists and turns in my life have led me to this moment – to say that I’m as valuable to society as a buko vendor, then I am humbled, thankful and privileged but never entitled, to stand tall equally next to them and just as importantly, to have had an education – something that is denied to a million buko vendors, who I’m sure can be a million times better than I am had they been given the same privilege and opportunities that I have been given in my life.
I have always said that the only reason I am the way I am is that the stars aligned for me.
At the end of the day, I’m thankful that my education has enabled me to say that I’m as valuable to society as an old grandmother who sells kakanin at the countryside to buy milk for their infant, and it has never made me any less of a person to be able to express my sincerity about my values in this way freely.
Everything comes circling back to the fact that I’m a very ordinary person with an extraordinary God.
“It is a humbling feeling I have sensed after reading Jaja Masorong’s essay. Truly, no one knows what people thinks in their everyday lives. It’s a relatable experience like hers to any student studying before the pandemic began. An ordinary day of going home from school, stopping by to a street vendor to splurge on some street foods, walking home with friends and the realizations of a regular student’s life. To anyone, she could be as ordinary as anyone else but how she illustrated her views and the imagery of how she perceives things has inspired me.
Considering she’s a recent college graduate and she expresses her thoughts like so, there’s a surge of humbling emotions I have felt and has brought me to think back to my own situation. Guilty, there are times I take for granted the favors and blessings of life has been pouring on me. Even to the simplest food my Mom makes before I go to school or the money I use for transportation up to the books and gadgets for school I am blessed with, I regret that I have taken them for granted. What she said is truly an eye-opener not just to me but to anyone who reads her essay. She entitled it with “All the best things in life are free” and it already screams the burning truth of the things we lack to show appreciation.
I think it’s enlightening to be grateful of the simple things one is blessed with. To show gratitude not just to those I am indebted for but to myself, too. It’s not too late to be better and become more appreciative. It’s about time to step forward and think about the little things in life that are free–to utter a silent prayer, giving thanks for another wonderful day, appreciate the people who loves you and reciprocate it back to them. I’ll start today and walk in life with the right attitude of appreciation, gratitude and humility. I will avoid wasting my resources to things that do not deserve to be wasted on. In addition, it is fitting to be kind and cease to waste my life into things that are unnecessarily useless. I will duly study even harder to repay my parents of their sacrifice and hardship for me. Understanding the importance of simplicity on account of the people around us, or even to those who inspires us, renders an important phase of progress in our lives. It is now due to advance and become a better individual.
This is a reaction paper I based from the reference given, while my specified thoughts based of when I was still in college/or as a student. Even as a working professional now, I am personally in awe as to how an ordinary college graduate like her could express complex thoughts like that.”
The soft, gentle light of a beautiful life shines upon everything, reflecting the light, giving it back tenfold and illuminating all that stands before it: verdant emerald hills beneath a blue sky which wavers with an energy that flows through them like blood through veins, the soft, dappled shade of trees under which shepherds walk with their flocks or the glistening dewdrops that cling to leaves and grasses, twinkling like diamonds in the summer sun as it rises from a horizon unmarred by any signs of human life or activity.
The beauty of life can also be seen in the resolve to never give up, no matter what life throws at you. It is in the unrelenting perseverance of the sparrow as it lands on a windowsill to sing its song, and hop around before flying off to continue its journey. It is in the sheer tenacity of the willow as it stands tall and strong after being battered by gales and storms, against which it fights with every fiber of its being. It is seen in the resilience of the pine tree which even after being struck by lightning and hit by high-powered streams from falling trees above, still continues to grow branches that bend low and hard beneath the weight they bear and survive on until they are strong enough to stand firm against all impending storms and heavy winds. It is in the graceful swans that have learned to fly even through a raging storm. It is also seen when one realizes that even though life will bring many difficulties and trials, it will be worth it in the end once all these experiences are assimilated into our lives. It is also in the compassionate heart which beats for the underprivileged and neediest in their society.
Life’s beauty is also in a melodious singing that is so rich that minerals such as rubies, sapphires, emeralds, silver, and gold can not compare. Her words softly roll off her like silk being pulled through fingers, smooth and effortless or as velvety rich as fresh honey straight from the comb. Her singing is likened to a cool stream rushing down a mountain. A voice such as hers is a true treasure. Her voice is richer and smoother than silk and chocolate. Her voice is as precious as roses in springtime. Her voice is as soothing and harmonic as a soft melody played by a piano on a warm summer night or as the sun-dappled water of a brook trickling over stones. The many textures and layers of her voice are comparable to raindrops falling from the sky and making ripples in puddles of water, showing different shades of blue based on how deep they are or the shimmering water that trickles down the clearest brook on the sunniest day. The airy, smooth sound of her voice is like a warm breeze caressing the golden-brown sand of a desert. Her voice is so beautiful as the ocean spray that sends your spirit soaring like a gull gliding on warm air currents—a feeling you only get when you’re standing in the middle of an ocean-front sunset. Her voice is as lush as cashmere wool. Her voice is as calming as the ocean waves rolling on the shore. Her voice radiates the same warmth as the first ray of summer sunshine.
The beauty of life is in the streams and rivers that rush past over rocks and stones, carving out tiny rivulets and valleys; in the mighty mountain ranges whose bases are filled with soil so rich it yields bountiful harvests, then rise high into waves of jagged rock before ending in snow-capped peaks. It is in the soft grass and rich soil of the plains which are home to countless creatures of all shapes and sizes, from great herds of animals whose hooves thunder through the land like an earthquake to birds that soar on currents of warm air above. It is in the vast stretches of deep, cold water filled with fish large and small, swimming or cruising through life at their own pace. It is in the forests that stretch for miles upon miles, and all their inhabitants such as the hungry bears or wolves who, after roaming through the forest for hours without locating any food, suddenly turn on their heels and set out in a different direction to hunt; it is in all of these things and more that life’s beauty can be found.
It is in the combination of flavors that make up a meal, each one complementing another to create one divine flavor; it is seen in small bits and pieces throughout our lives, such as when we laugh or smile at something funny or sincerely find ourselves smiling for no particular reason; such instances are life’s beautiful parts. It is seen in the moments of rest, such as when we can, at last, exhale after a long day, and so long as we are able to take that much needed rest and have time to analyze things from a calmer perspective, we all know that life’s beauty shines brighter than ever.
The endless possibilities for beauty presented to us throughout our lives are vast and as such are as limitless and beautiful as life itself. Life’s beauty is also found in the glistening droplets of water that trickle down the side of a water container, or on a petal’s surface through which it trickles down from a stem, or in the glittering droplets of sweat that run down a sprinter’s face. It can also be seen in the speckles of color that appear on a bird’s wing or tail. It can be seen in the varying hues that appear as two flowers blossom side by side or in the colors of a leaf contrasting against the pale green of a tree’s bark.
Life’s beauty is seen in a piece of writing that transports you to where you have wandered through green forests, plucked blackberries and sloes from the hedge, gathered nuts in the copse, had a first view of the sea from a hilltop; to where you have sailed on blue lakes, and explored meadows of violets in the valleys; where you have become intoxicated with the perfume of hawthorn. See wild swans with golden beaks flying over their heads, or watch the salmon leaping in a foaming torrent. Lie on the grass by the side of a stream while watching its eddies chase one another as they whirled around a rock or glided under an overhanging bank. Be transported to where you have been weary with heat and thirst in a desert and have seen mirages of lakes and shadowy mountains in the distance; to where you have shivered with cold on a snowy mountain-top. Build an oasis and see it come to life in a snap of a finger. Run your fingers along the edge of a crystal-clear lake and enjoy breathtaking vistas of alpine meadows. Bask in the awe-inspiring views of a lush, mountain valley as you soar over a world of words of your creation. Inhale the sweet scents of an opulent world full of lushness; a vivid tapestry of vibrant colors and sumptuous textures.