THE SUFI IN AN ASHRAM

its time to make peace,
make and break bread together.
enough broken bones.
we are all one!
all right,
all wrong,
all lost,
all longing,
all hearts sing,
"my God, i wander everywhere
until in Your Eyes
i am found."

Like Taking Off An Old Coat (rough draft)

i remember while i searched,
how i dressed You
in a cloak of Light
and You smiled
because i believed
this was right.

"My child, My child,
there is nothing
i wear to make this Light."

You, my Beloved, took
off the cloak
and when everything everywhere
was made naked, how It shined!

"the veils you dress Me in
are for the eyes of your body
for they would dissolve
like a moth in the fire
if you saw how bright is My Love."

we make our conversations
within the soul, untarnished
by earth's gold. you,
My obedient one must remember
the taste of the sun as it rises
is like one drop of the ocean
of honey you will taste in Paradise.

this us

the i of this
is lost
like a breath
exhaled
but we share it
rather than devour.
in and out
the definition of our
is born.

have you ever felt
this lost in the oneness?
in this us
that knocked at the door
which we blamed
for imprisoning us
in our limited selves.

and now? now in the realm
of unity
we share everything
and the journey
of melting my i into your i
leaves us ecstatic,
praise the One!
we are everything,
invisible and visible,
lost and found,
dead and alive,
this flood of bonding,
as if drunk on love,
is what made us we.

to life!
ya hayy!

Ya Wadud....

i come to you,
Love.
i am a fool,
Love,
until inside
Love
my heart sees light.
Love,
You are the guide.
Love,
finally free,
Love,
You teach me
Love.
Love,
tears fall,
Love,
You catch them all,
Love,
tears of joy i cry;
Love,
joy even in this stormy night.
Love,
father and mother;
Love
makes us sisters and brothers.
Love,
tonight i embrace even suffering.
Love,
life even as we are dieing.
Love,
comfort for every sorrow.
Love,
path to peace in every tomorrow.
Love,
i rest in the Truth.
Love,
there is nothing else, but You.
Love,
Lover,
Mother,
Father,
Friend,
Truth,
Teacher,
Compassion,
Peace,
Life,
King,
Mercy,
Creator,
Perfection,
Kindness,
Healer,

Ya Wadud, Ya Wadud, Ya Wadud, Ya Wadud, Ya Wadud.

wholeness

i dreamed i was lost
and when i woke up,
there was no i.

tossed into the sky,
you and i are birds
and as one we fly.

tossed into the water,
you and i swam
and our us danced.

tossed into a canyon,
you and i were held
inside its womb as one.

tossed into the fire,
we felt free to give up
separation and now this cup

is full of God.
drink, drink, take this
and fill yourself. it is love.

meeting the mouse

i caught the mouse;
not to worry,
it was humane
and he has all
the comfort of home
until it gets light
enough to bring him
to the woods
down the street.

i confess i have
a soft spot
for him now.
after all, we have
known each other
for a while.
we've been through
a lot together.

i have come to see
him as a guest
as he's helped himself
to whatever crumbs
he found on
the kitchen counter.

i didn't want
the cat to catch him.

that soft spot
is like a door
to my heart
and it as though
he was the first one
I opened it for.

i wasn't elated to catch him.
i was elated to meet him
though he didn't feel
the same in return.
i whispered,
"you are safe.
stay calm."

those beautiful eyes
were God's.
i know.

inside a plastic jar,
air holes hammered in,
a little water,
a little cracker,
a little bit
of an old blanket,
I offered peace.

catching a mouse like this
is a test; can i love
this itty bitty critter?
yes, definitely, yes.

Portrait of Mor

fifteen years later,
you are not like a ghost.
we are settling in
to this routine of ears
not needed to hear
and eyes not needed to see.

every october,
my eyes and ears may still search,
but it is more gently now.
my heart is a bridge
from me to you.
as grief work finishes,
our new relationship
teaches me faith.

i never believed in God
until you died,
but you knew that
and said,

"remembering is like
the glimpses of that ocean
you found when you looked into my eyes."

and i remember how i would say,
"mom, when i look into your eyes,
i don't see the place where they end."

it was my first lesson
in the meaning of eternity.
it was the first time
i would learn the distance
between us is nothing
when i walk with the words,
"i love you".

yes, love can turn it all around,
leading a girl and her mother
to the same path
even after the mother's death.
i do not grieve anymore,
i just remember
the universe is too mysterious
to take you away. i know you hear
me when i say, "jag alskar dig."