URS DATE: May 15, 2016
NICKLE: Clyde “Shems” Nickle died of natural causes at the age of 77 on May 15, 2016, while attending a Sufi retreat in Jemez Springs. He moved to Silver City in 2005 to found a Sufi center, having run a center for eight years previously in Kansas City, MO. An excellent drummer since age 9, Shems once said “the drum was my voice” and playing it was meditative for him, a way of connecting to Spirit. Besides being a Sufi musician, he was a member of two local bands: The Original Gypsy Feet and The F Street Band. In Kansas City he played with The Bobcats and the jazz band of nationally know performer David Bassey. Shems was a Sufi teacher who “walked the talk”; he loved everybody. He will be missed by many, especially his wife Victoria Basira Nickle; five children; five grandchildren; and many brothers and sisters of his Sufi family.
Dear Friends of the Path of the Winged Heart,
It is with much sadness but overwhelming fullness and richness of love that I share with you that our Beloved Shems Nickle died on May 15, 2016 at the end of our Hummingbird Wazifah Retreat.
For those of you, who Shems has a place and drum pulse in your heart, I thought to describe a bit of the experience.
The day before his passing the theme of the morning was the eternal and continuous cycle of life and death. We contemplated and then danced Ya Mumit, Ya Muhyi, Ya Hayy. Shems was the pulsing heartbeat that was drumming for this. Later that day, walking back from the dining hall I asked Shems about his relationship to these Beautiful Names. He said, “I can’t wait to see what’s on the other side! But, I still want to be around here!” The sharing and reflection continued Sunday morning after we danced the Zikr of Ya Azaliyy, Ya Abadiyy. Shems told me, “Yes, God is beyond space and time.” Shemsi knew! Shemsi knew!
For those of you who know Shems, he was devoted to the Beautiful Names for some years in so many forms, from doing daily morning practices with the Silver City Khankha, to being with us and Murshid Wali Ali at the Wazifah Intensives and being the pulsing Presence of Beloved’s rhythm at the Hummingbird Retreats; He was and is my “Wazifah Brother.”
The closing circle on Sunday was profoundly touching. We sang to each other, “You are the face of God. I hold you in my heart. You are a part of me. You are the face of God.” I was drawn to place my head on Shemsi’s shoulder, embrace him while he drummed and sang this song quietly in his ear as the dance was ending.
At the end we all went to lunch but Shems was one of the last ones to leave the Dance Hall with our friend Richard Vijain. This was Richard’s first Wazifah Retreat. He asked Shems to sign his Physician’s of the Heart book and Shems did! Richard then asked him to tell him the story of his first meeting with the dances and the Sufi path. Shems told him about his first retreat he attended where he met Wali Ali and eventually became Wali Ali’s first Mureed. The advertisement that attracted Shems said, “Ecstatic States may be experienced.”
It was about this time that Richard described Shems as having a “far off look” in his eyes. Richard said that at that time Shems’s eyes just rolled back then he fell to the ground. They were outside amongst the pine trees when this happened. Then normal time collapsed for all of us. The paramedics arrived and the remaining of us who hadn’t left made a semi circle and began to sing, “May the Blessings of God Rest Upon You.” The paramedics had a protocol for how much time or how many cycles of CPR they had to administer. We all knew (about 15 or so of us) that Shems was gone beyond, gone beyond. I felt that our singing and our prayers helped to hold Shems in the spirit world while the paramedics worked with so much sincerity and dedication to bring the life force back to his body.
The supervising paramedic called off the CPR. The paramedics, police and the Office of Medical Examiners were kind, sensitive and mindful. They let us circle around Shems and we continued singing. Someone brought out Shemsi’s large drum and I carefully lifted it out of the black casing. I stooped down and leaned it on his body and it was at this time that the cry and tears of love and grief resounded through this person’s body. Once those waves of feeling subsided I raised my head from Shems’s body and began to play his drum as the Hummingbird Sangha was still singing/praying.
There were grayish blackish clouds in the air. Thunder could be heard at times. Our friend Ron drove his camper van next to Shems’s body and he brought out the awning to provide a protective covering so we could continue to sit with Shems. During the next several hours Tara Andrea and I had to interface with the officials as well as contacting Shems’s wife, Basira and Murshida Darvesha who live in Silver City. Basira was being held there in Silver City by Darvesha and friends. When I spoke to Basira over the phone I was given so much strength by her, because of the way she was embracing this experience, with such courage of heart.
It was several hours before the OMI transport came to pick up Shems’s body. During that time we gathered around him, touched his body, gave thanks for his presence in our lives, sat quietly and ate dinner together around Shems. While OMI began to remove his body, the circle began to sing Zikr until his body was placed in the vehicle. Some of his blood was still on the ground where his body laid. Richard Vijain said he shoveled some off and gave it to the river that runs through the camp.
It was around dusk that we were able to leave the campsite to return home. I’m writing this letter on Monday, the day after. I feel tears of gratitude for being held by our Sangha and by the worldwide soul of the Ruhaniat. What an example, experience this has been that there is no separation between our Dance, our practice, our daily lives, death and the Sacred Unity.
Ya Mumit, Ya Muhyi, Ya Hayy
Maboud Swierkosz
Dearest Ones,
It was a great honor and blessing that Shems attended and drummed for our Wind Spirit Dance Camps since the very first.
For his bio on our Camp website, Shems described himself as an “Experienced Spiritual Transition Musician.”
🙂
His email message sign-offs, as so many of us know, included: “Love dissolves fear”; “Love is It!” and “In Love ~Shems”.
What a beautiful One.
Shems was inspiring and kind to me in every way over the many years I had the joy of being with him, drumming with him, leading Dances and Zikrs to his magnificent rhythms.
He will be so missed by all of us.
Grateful to have been befriended by such a Friend, with Love,
Shivadam
Shems was a light in my life. It has been some years since I communed with him in Kansas City, where I often stayed with him and Basira. My heart remembers much love and laughter. Thank you for the time you were with us, Shems. You touched my life in good and gracious ways. Thank you for being a big brother on the journey home, showing a way it can be possible to exit this life quickly and smoothly. I am writing these words to you, knowing that some where you are still. Until we meet again…
Shemsi–A dear long-time friend, the best pray-er I have ever known, will be missed. His light will shine eternally. Blessings to Basira and the community.
Love is it!
Paula Koch
I was blessed to live with Shems and Basira at the Khankah, Qalbia Nur, during their last couple of years in Kansas City, MO. At one point the three of us (all Leos) lived with five cats in the house–so the feline energy was very high. Every Sunday evening we and others of the community joined in the Dervish Healing ceremony and Shems always lifted the group with joy–even when the rest of us were tired or unfocused. When I heard of his transition I dug out a picture that a friend took of Shems and one of the cats (mine–Lugh)–they are having a moment of interspecies communication over a bowl of cereal that Shems has brought with him–and is not willing to share at that point. It is such a wonderful, whimsical picture that completely captures the essence of how Shems held himself in the world–sure of his place, his role–and gracious even in refusals. There is so much that I remember of that time–so much that shaped me. I am grateful that he walked on among friends and fellow travelers in Spirit and I am absolutely sure that he is joyfully and rhythmically singing the praises of Allah wherever he is on the way to now. Ya Fattah! The Way is ever open.