Lifting the Hajar Heel

By Mohja Kahf

11 Dhu'l-Hijjah 1425 - Poem 11
Eid al-Adha, Day 2

Dying for water,
Hagar went racing
back and forth in the valley
but forgot to look
in the obvious places first

What she needed most
was right there all along,
under the heel of her foot
All it took was a nudge
from an angel’s wing

Little self, panting in the world,
take a hint.
Lift your heel,
look! --find your own
long-buried Zamzam spring

First published in Azizah Magazine