By Shameem Shakat-Hussain

‘Lost and Found’ tells you about my faith journey and how I found my spiritual calm over the years. I hope you can relate to this poem. I share my innermost experiences which I haven’t really shared with anyone, so here goes nothing...

I have been fascinated by mankind’s relationship with the Lord; so I ask, what connects you?

Is it prayer, remembrance, knowledge or another dimension?

Tell me what the pages read; do they read the same for you as they do for me?

Does the ritual act suffice, or do you delve deeper into the layers?

Exploring the unfound depths of your devotion, is this what I must avail?

A lifelong journey to no end it seems; oh, the tests I endure for the sake of my Lord, how He blesses us all.

Why are we given knowledge at different stages of our lives?

Why are our battles of varying degrees?

What I feel is a test, may not be for you or the rest. So why do I compare my fate with you?

Only the most High will know what lies ahead. I trust and believe it will be for the best.

I feel deeply connected on some nights and barely so on others.

There are times when I am in a trance, like a drug that wipes my senses; oh, how I forget time.

There are moments where I avoid my rituals as I fear the knowledge would magnify my transgressions.

I am a sinner and will always be, so I repent and repent until He forgives me.

The deeper I go, the more fearful I become. I long for Him to give me redemption.

My soul cannot take the intensity of this worldly existence.

I wish to perish and yearn for the spiritual world, so bestow upon me mercy, My Lord.

I sin more than before, or rather my sins feel heavier as I continue this path.

I went looking for peace in this world of Yours.

I lost direction and fell, but I looked up and raced ahead.

I realised what I was searching for was closer than I thought.

To look within my soul, a challenge at first, and then clarity.

How I was searching for peace in the four corners of Your world, when I should have looked deeper, deeper into my own soul.

And there You were, where You always were.

Deep in the depths of my existence I found You and I found my peace!

I would love to hear about your journey and how this has shaped you as a person. I hope this poem inspires you and provides hope that you are not on your own in your journey to find a purpose. You could contact me via my website which may also be useful if you're interesting in seeing more of my art and poetry. Alternatively, you could create a post on the forum.

Some things to think about:

1. What do you think the writer’s conflicts are?

2. Can you relate to the writer’s journey; where you are in your journey?

3. What do you think the writer is saying by ‘I long for Him to give me redemption’?