Wraith of the Desert

Wraith of the Desert
Originally uploaded by Seeking Tao.

How 'bout some Rumi today -
searching for God in the desert.


The Funny Thing Is…

When I want to leave
You hold my feet and won’t let me go.
You steal my heart,
and sit on top of it. …

You saw me lost, waving and crying
and said, “I am the guide.
I’ll show you the road
for which you have been searching.”…

My friend, you thought you lost Him;
that all your life you’ve been separated from Him.
Filled with wonder, you’ve always looked outside for Him,
and haven’t searched within your own house.

The funny thing is
that in this search,
Beauty has always accompanied you.
Wherever you have been,
He is the One holding your hand.

Keep looking for Him with Him;
You and He are on the same road.
O Beloved, You’re so obvious
You’re hidden from sight!



Love Is like a Lawsuit

I am amazed at the seeker of purity
who when it’s time to be polished
complains of rough handling.
Love is like a lawsuit:
to suffer harsh treatment is the evidence…

That harshness isn’t toward you,
But toward the harmful qualities within you.
When someone beats a rug,
the blows are not against the rug,
but against the dust in it.



The Edge of the Roof

I don’t like it here, I want to go back.
According to the old Knowers
if you’re absent from the one you love
even for one second that ruins the whole thing!...

When you want dessert, you choose something rich.
In wine, you look for what is clear and firm.
What is the rest? The rest is mirages,
and blurry pictures, and milk mixed with water.
The rest is self-hatred, and mocking other people, and bombing.

So just be quiet and sit down.
The reason is – you are drunk,
and this is the edge of the roof.