No other presence both
Warms and soothes
Casts shadows
Heals and burns
Dawns and rules
Night sky yearns
Earth searing
Growth expounding
Her worth
In daily doses
As she moves closer
We vacate hiding places
Abandon cinemas
Theatre audiences
To meet her on sand
Absorb her all
In glorious array
Until cloud curtains
Herald rain
Longing sun kiss
Cheeks hand brush pink
Thirst taste on lips
Till we meet again
Even after
All this time
The sun
Never says
To the earth
"You owe me"
Look what happens
With a love
Like that.
It lights
The whole sky.
~ From The Gift:
Poems by Hafiz, 1999.
By Daniel Ladinsky
Though perilous labour
Sucks wind out of wings
Daily we break out
Of old habits
Singing sweetly harmony
With breeze stinging
Lips and cheeks
Faint glow inspires
Smiles and images
Of edge of tomorrow
Landscapes cascading
Over cliffs
Considering how to
Sound and look best
Humming along with you
Always return home
To rest
Love is no contest
Of reciprocity
If it were
Ours a game of tag
Where i am always it
Instead, a gift of sound
As if handing you
Every note wrapped
In red silk ribbon
From Chopin's ninth night
You responding only
With the miniscule slip
Of tear sliding down cheek
Eloquent and appropriate
For one such as this
Most exquisite sign
Illuminates the sky
Storm charges by
Bones rejoining
Her showering peace
Taunting me
Playing partners
Lightning smile dawning
Thunder rumble
Through my veins
Wayward glances
Broken sighs yawning
Her stage circumference
Straddle far horizons
All I see in front of me
I hold each waking morning
‘Nothing is absolute
Frida Kahlo
Everything changes
Everything moves
Everything revolves
Everything flies
And goes away.
I am that clumsy human
Always loving
Loving
Loving.
And loving.
And never,
Leaving.’
The lane of love is narrow – there is room for only one
Kabir
Why do we do
What we do?
A myriad of ways
To distract me
From spending
Precious time
I cannot waste
Twenty paths
All leading
Back to you
Stay
Not long enough
To admire your
Kaleidescope of colour
Drifting away
On the next breath
Of wind as I exhale
Disappointed
Yet inspired
To have known you
In the first place
Lie in wait in case
She returns to our
First meeting place
Wondering weather
Does lightning strike
In the same place?
Random encounters
Rouse hopefulness
Capture the infinite
Beauty of a moment
Chance encounters
Of your kind
