A few weeks ago, I was walking along a Glasgow street and saw a Moslem man praying in his shop; it was a small electronics store and, incongruously, the qibla had him facing toward a wall of cell phones and various gadgets. I wonder if there is some thought to all the “stuff” (physical and cultural) in between wherever one is and Mecca? I was slightly taken aback by seeing this; it was as if I was intruding on a private moment. Also, the sight of someone in prayer in the midst of a “consumer environment” was disconcerting. So, a haiku.
The open window
Between this man and Mecca,
Such a long journey.
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