Love’s Boulevard

If you have not come by the way of love
You have taken the wrong road, O helpless one

Lost in the world, which way can you turn?
Stop at the Tavern, ask directions!

Let the darvishes there guide you
Or your journey will have been in vain

First, Praise God in all things, then
Bless the tongue that speaks these words,

“Take but a step with the intention of love
And all paths become Love’s Boulevard.”

O Lord, let me become dust on Your path
That I may be carried by every traveler

To the country of the Beloved
Where everywhere, there is only You

- Irving Karchmar, November, 2010

Ya Haqq!

One Breath

From pre-eternity to post-eternity
is but a single breath,
A breath free of all these melodies
high and low.

Treasure this breath,
this moment you now enjoy.
Spend it in happiness: there is
no time for sorrow.

Once this moment has passed,
it is gone forever.
Your time is less
than the very least you can imagine.

If you spend this moment laughing,
the world will be all laughter.
But if you fall into depression,
the world will be all sorrow.

Don’t give your heart to this unstable
transitory world
With all its ups and downs,
its twists and turns.

Lighten another’s heart;
be light of heart yourself,
For the highest gain in the world
is this.

Take care, Nurbakhsh,
not to hurt any heart,
For this is more valuable
than any crown or throne.

- Dr. Javad Nurbakhsh (1926 – 2008), from Vol. 46, Sufi Journal.

Ya Haqq!

The Purple Zebra and the Tired Mule

Salaam and Greetings of Peace:

The purple zebra dances to the song of the long Moon.
Staring into the clear darkness, the beaten mule continues on its arduous journey.

Rejected by the donkey and the horse, the mule is never accepted for what it truly is.

The purple zebra is surrounded by the townspeople, captivating those foolish ones.
All the while, the mule continues up and down the mountain valleys bringing all of the town’s supplies, so that the people may survive.

Having spent many years in the desert wastes, being burned by the fires of Love…The purple zebra is free from the mistakes of the townspeople,
it is a true lover of the long Moon. It is deaf and blind to their praise and presence.

It is only natural for these people, who are lost in the clear darkness to become attracted to this beautiful flame when it arrives.

The mule was forgotten long before the purple zebra arrived… never having a place of recognition to begin with.

All the townspeople surround the purple zebra like bees around the Queen’s hive, dancing in joy and forgetfulness…

Though it may seem the mule is the forgotten, it is really those occupied people who are forgotten… and limited.

Unwavering in its efforts, the worn old mule continues to serve the people, beaten and exhausted… it never forgets to give thanks to the
One who remembers him. The One who has made him His…and His alone.

- by Atabek, dedicated to Sheikh Abul Abbas al-Mursi (rahmatullaalaih). May God sanctify his soul.

Note: This story/poem was sent by a young friend online, and is a good reminder of the two kinds of true seekers, the silent ones in the backround who do the work, and the visible ones who attract attention. Both serve a purpose. It is good to remember that for every Sufi saint that has been written about, there are many others whose names no one knows but God.
Ya Haqq!

The Moon is Always Full

The moon is always full
Our human eyes
See only its phases

Love is always here
Our human heart
Sees only its shadow

Joy is always present
Our human mind
Reasons it away

God is always near
Our human spirit
Knows this without words

O Moon, display your full beauty
to my inner eye
O Love, come into the light that casts
no shadow
O Joy, overflow my cup of reason
with your wine
O God, fill me, fill me, fill me
with Your knowing

That my heart may rejoice in You
My eyes may be filled with You
My reason overcome by You
My spirit abound in You

Ameen!

- Irving Karchmar, November 2007