True Love.

This is a poem of true Love.

This is for St. Valentine's Day, and this is for every day.

Something like this is infinitely beautiful.

There is far more to this than meets the eye,
So I think.
You tell me!

~

"The wakened lover speaks directly to the Beloved,
'You are the sky my spirit circles in,
the love inside Love, the resurrection-place.

Let this window be your ear.
I have lost consciousness many times
with longing for your listening silence,
and your life-quickening smile.

You give attention to the smallest matters,
my suspicious doubts, and to the greatest.

You know my coins are counterfeit,
but you accept them anyway,
my impudence and my pretending!

I have five things to say,
five fingers to give
into Your Grace.

First, when I was apart from you,
this world did not exist,
nor any other.

Second, whatever I was looking for
was always You.

Third, why did I ever learn to count to three?

Fourth, my cornfield is burning!

Fifth, this finger stands for my lover,*
and this is for someone else.
Is there a difference?

Are these words or tears?
Is weeping speech?
What shall I do, my love?'

So he speaks, and everyone around
begins to cry with him, laughing crazily,
moaning in the spreading union
of lover and beloved.

This is the true religion, all others
are thrown-away bandages beside it.

This is the sema of slavery and mastery
dancing together. This is not being.

Neither words, nor any natural fact
can express this.

I know these dancers.
Day and night I sing their songs
in this phenomenal cage.

My soul, don't try to answer now!
Find a friend, and hide.

But what can stay hidden?
Love's secret is always lifting its head--
out from under the covers,
'Here I am!'"

--Rumi, I Have Five Things to Say

~

What can stay hidden? Nothing.
O Lord, have Mercy on me
According to your loving-kindness.
And be Blessed Love,
Be Blessed!

Your baby boy,
s.s.

*sema means "cycle;" in the original Arabic Rumi uses the female name "Rabia" here. I assume this was his lover. This translation is by Corry Stuart and can be found on his website @ http://www.corrystuart.com/009fivethingstosay.html.