Poetry & Rambling

When I graduated from high school, a family friend gave me a book of collected poems.  One poem in particular stood out to me.  Who was this Rumi?  His poetry is like a much, much better (of course!), lighter version of some of my poetry.  I write in a similar fashion and delve into the same topics at times.  It felt like we were on the same wavelength, if you know what I mean.

Anyway, the book above is my favorite collection of Rumi's poetry.  I go back to it a lot and my copy looks it. haha  Here are some of my favorites  =)

(ps -- I hem and haw over his use of the word God, but float over that, and keep the rest. Love it anyway.)


Untitled

The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you.
Don't go back to sleep.

You must ask for what you really want.
Don't go back to sleep.

People are going back and forth across the doorsill
where the two worlds touch.

The door is round and open.
Don't go back to sleep.

----------------------------

Untitled

I have lived on the lip of insanity,
wanting to know reasons, knocking on a door.
It opens.

I’ve been knocking from the inside!

----------------------------

No Flag

I used to want buyers for my words.

Now I wish someone would buy me away from words.

I have made a lot of charmingly profound images,

scenes with Abraham and Abraham's father, Azar,

who was famous for making icons.

I am so tired of what I have been doing.

Then one image without form came,

and I quit.

Look for someone else to tend the shop.

I am out of the image-making business.

Finally I know the freedom

of madness.

A random image arrives. I scream,

Get out! It disintegrates.

Only love.

Only the holder the flag fits into.

No flag.

----------------------------

Tending Two Shops

Don’t run around this world

looking for a hole to hide in.

There are wild beasts in every cave!

If you live with mice,

the cat claws will find you.

The only real rest comes

when you’re alone with God.

Live in the nowhere that you came from,

even though you have an address here.

That’s why you see things in two ways.

Sometimes you look at a person

and see a cynical snake.

Someone else sees a joyful lover,

and you’re both right!

Everyone is half and half,

like the black and white ox.

Joseph looked ugly to his brothers,

and most handsome to his father.

You have eyes that see from that nowhere,

and eyes that judge distances,

how high and how low.

You own two shops,

and you run back and forth.

Try to close the one that’s a fearful trap,

getting always smaller.  Checkmate,

this way.  Checkmate, that.

Keep open the shop

where you’re not selling fishhooks anymore.

You are the free-swimming fish.