Dr. Hanna Saadah and his son, the late Nicholas Saadah.
Life thrives between two seminal moments
Between the two moments of birth and death
These two moments encompass all of life
Because without birth there can be no life
Life can only thrive between these two moments.
But death is relative, not absolute
For life asserts itself with memories
Memories sustain life, they persevere
Between the two moments of other lives
Continue to influence other lives
Their influence goes on and does not stop.
Nicholas died but still lives within us
His well-lived, well-loved, adventurous life
Continues to enliven our spirits;
His memory is our souls’ nutrition
It nourishes, nurtures, and sustains us
I sense and see him everywhere I glance.
I find solace in William Wordsworth’s ode:
Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendor in the grass, of glory in the flower
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind;
In the primal sympathy
Which having been must ever be;
In the soothing thoughts that spring
Out of human suffering;
In the faith that looks through death,
In the years that bring the philosophic mind.
For more solace, I return to Walt Whitman
When he tried to answer a child’s question:
What is the grass?
The grass is the handkerchief of the Lord,
Is the beautiful uncut hair of graves,
The smallest spouts show that there is no death,
Death leads life forward, nothing collapses
All goes outward and onward and to die
Is different from what anyone supposed
And luckier.
My adieu poem echoes within me:
Yes, I am well aware
That nothing lasts
Beyond the moment’s edge
That life at first will crawl
Then springs like roses
Marvelous, and tall
Then Browns
And all the petals fall
And scatter through the air
Only the thorns remain
On branches, pleading, bare
With every thorn a pain,
Yes, I am well aware.
Good-bye
Meadows of sun and song
And falls of sighing height
And peaks where sky-full souls belong
And thoughts winged with delight
Good-bye, love-gladdened heart
Spring has wintered
And the birds have flown
Alone I labor in the nights, alone
Awaiting answers orphaned from their questions.
But love is never lost
It softens life
Unburdens, beautifies
Restores the broken souls
Redeems the spring within the vacant eyes
Awakens seeds from dust.
Love is not lost
It flows from rose to flower like a bee
And every heart it liberates is free
To reach the height of smiles
The depth of tears
The mighty calm of peace
Unnerved by fears
The kindness of the cross
That nails our souls together
And changes us forever.
This poem by Dr. Hanna Saadah was written in tribute to his son, the late Nicholas Saadah. Dr. Hanna Saadah was a contributor and supporter of Al Jadid Magazine during its serialization for nearly two decades, enriching the publication with his prose and poetry. Dr. Saadah has graciously permitted us to republish his poem, which was originally published in The Bulletin, produced by the Oklahoma County Medical Society.
This article appeared in Inside Al Jadid Reports, No. 164, 2026.
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