Prayer beads 

Made of warm brown wood

The tassel, a fiery red

Lie in front of me on my footstool 

Prayer beads

Take me back to Iran

The country I come from

Held in the hands of a holy one in a photograph

Held in the hands of the merchant at the bazaar as he sells his wares

Held in the hand of the Sufi sage as he moves the beads with his fingers like he has done a thousand times 

Prayer beads

Come in all colors and forms

Made of wood or glass or stone 

Prayer beads

Are sacred to me

They connect us to our creator 

2 February 2019