Birthdate: September 28, 1922 URS date: April 11, 2018
Poems from Suleiman at the end of his life:
This is how it happens: they take your blood
and tell you a story, the news, your chances.
The battle is on, whites and reds, bone and marrow —
chemistry, imagery, prayer.
I am an old man, granted years beyond
those usually allotted.
I tell myself to count my blessings.
I tell myself anything is possible.
I tell myself it’s not a battle; it’s a surrender.
I am in His hands.
This Is the Way
Two gorgeous creatures attack me from both sides.
I am safe: they are my granddaughters.
When they were little, I tucked them in, sang a song,
made up fairy tales, sometimes a ghost story.
I have watched in amazement as they grew
into intelligence and beauty.
At each step, we expressed our love.
Now, they are laughing and kissing me
all over my face.
I, too, am laughing, so hard my tears are falling
on their lips.
This is the way I want to die.
Comments from IO Listserve members
Our Beloved teacher and friend Suleiman Grosslight, had his Divine Wedding Wenesday night 9:30 pm in his home with his family present. He was ready for the transition after a short bout with leukemia living in good health, driving, in good humor, grace and wisdom until then, passing at age 95. A universal worship was held in his home led by Rev Murshida Tasnim Fernandez on Friday morning followed by graveside Jewish ceremony and burial at Hillside Cemetery. His Hebrew name, Ariyea Shalom, means Lion of Peace, which he certainly was.
Latifa Miriaam
I too would like to express my deep love and esteem for dear Suleiman. I
remember his kindness when I stayed with him in Playa Del Ray, and recall
especially, down the years, his sparkling humor, his bright smile, and his
eloquence. I was moved by the poem Shams shared, and would like to share
this one as well, a poem that Suleiman sent me during his last weeks. May
his thirsting eyes behold the glorious vision of God’s Sunshine
Sarafil Bawa
What a beautiful being Suleiman was to many of us in this life. I loved the poem that Shams shared from him. May he always be surrounded by light, love, and laughter in his journey to the One.
Shakur J
Suleiman was a kind, gentle, wise man of many gifts, generously offered to all.
Shams K
What a beautiful being! I will miss his poetry, his wit, and those bright,
sparkling eyes.
Many blessings on his continuing journey into Splendor…
love & light,
Sitara M-L
Suleiman was a dear, dear friend. I shall miss him – his bright eyes, kind heart, sharp wit. I loved it when he burst into song and whirled me around the “dance” floor. He was generous and insightful, and somehow managed to give advice without giving advice. A consoler, he shrugged off real complaint and rallied around beauty and laughter. He was sincere and trustworthy, jocular and irreverent. He was a worshipper, a devotee, a lover, a light for the Universal Worship. He lived fully and let the muse in his heart work those feelings and memories, then spill them, just so, on to the written page. He often shared poems he was working on with me, including, some three months before his Wedding Night, “This is the Way.” I picture him, at his passing, just that way – surrounded by those beauties, and the laughter and tears he invoked, heartily welcomed into the arms of the Beloved, melting into that embrace.