September 17. On this date in 1979, Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum wrote a poem, "On Hearing of Enoch's Murder."

September 17. On this date in 1979, Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum wrote a poem, "On Hearing of Enoch's Murder."

The sunlight is black
The sunlight is black
What raven wing
Covered my sun at noonday?

In my mouth is the salt of tears
I cannot swallow so much salt . . .

Blood is so beautiful
Blood is so pure
Why do the people let blood
Run in the street?

So long it took
To make this man
Noble and good
His mind and his soul
Expanded like sunlight
At noonday.

Why did you kill him?
Are you pleased at this riddled shell,
This mangle of bone and flesh?
Did you think your deed in the dark
Was a bright light?

Everything is pulsing,
Throbbing and throbbing!
There is no answer
And the sunlight is black.

Go Enoch go!
Go to Musa on the hill
Go to your Master
Go to your Guardian
Go to the Kingdom of Light!

But ask not of us
Nor of your people
Who have plucked a sin
Big enough and dark enough
To blot out the noonday sun!

Woe to Africa!
Weep as you have not wept before,
Weep on your knees,
Weep your eyes blind,
You have murdered Abu'l-Futœh,
The Father of Victories is dead
At your hand, at your hand!
Your jeweled crown
page laced by God on your head
Is rolled into the grave---
Weep, weep, weep your heart away.