You Ask Me

You Ask Me
who are you?
and with such a shaky existence
how can you fall in love?
how do I know?
who am I or where I am?
how could a simple wave
locate itself in an ocean?
you ask me
what am I seeking?
above and beyond
the pure light
that I once was
and why am I
imprisoned in this cage?
named body
and yet I claim to be a free bird how
do I know
how I lost my way?
I know for sure
I was all straight
before I was, seduced by love

"RUMI, Fountain of Fire", ghazal number 1517, translated April 1991 by Nader Khalili, Burning Gate Press, Los Angeles, 1994.



If you wish to travel far and fast, travel light. Take off all your envies, jealousies, unforgiveness, selfishness, and fears - Glenn Clark