Throw away
All your begging bowls at God’s door,

For I have heard the Beloved
Prefers sweet threatening shouts,

Something on the order of:

“Hey Beloved,
My heart is a raging volcano
Of love for you!

You better start kissing me -
Or Else!”

Hafiz

God stood at the shore of Himself and dove in.
How can He do things like that?
Anything goes with
the Big Guy, I
guess.

A divine splash happened,
billions of drops were propelled into space.

I said to a drop shooting past me one night,
“Where ya going, what’s the hurry,
slow down.”

It did, and we talked for a while, that drop and I;
some angels too
came by.

There is more traffic than you think -
cruising.

Teresa of Avila

Just sit there right now
Don’t do a thing
Just rest.

For your separation from God,
From love,

Is the hardest work
In this
World.

Let me bring you trays of food
And something
That you like to
Drink.

You can use my soft words
As a cushion
For your
Head.

Hafiz

There is a dog I sometimes take for a walk
and turn loose in a field,

when I can’t give her that freedom,
I feel in debt.

I hope God thinks like that and
is keeping track of all
the bliss He
owes
me.

Rabia

My head is bald…but hatted. My coat is warm. “Brave travelers dream time, hoist hope like a flag on a staff.” Green hills meet indigo sky. The wind pushes me on. “Clouds tell no stories.” The moon is bright. Prayer hurts. The sight of God is fatal. “Keep moving.”

Bernard Laurie Edwards

4 cups of Love
3 cups of Loyalty
3 cups of Forgiveness
5 tsp.of Hope
2 tsp. of Tenderness
4 quarts of Faith
1 cup of Friendship
1 barrel of Laughter

Take Love and Loyalty, mix thoroughly with Faith. Blend it with Tenderness, Kindness and Understanding. Add Friendship and Hope. Sprinkle abundantly with Laughter. Bake it with Sunshine. Serve daily with generous helpings.

You have been invited to meet
The Friend.

No one can resist a Divine Invitation.

That narrows down all our choices
To just two:

We can come to God
Dressed for Dancing,

Or,

Be carried on a stretcher
To God’s Ward.

Hafiz

The wonder of water moving over that rock in the stream
justifies existence.

The swish of a horse’s tail – again I am stunned
by the grandeur of the unseen One
that governs all
movement.

I resist looking at the palms of my hands sometimes.
Have you ever gotten breathless before a beautiful face,
for I see you there,
my dear.

There is a wonderful problem waiting for you
that God and I share:

how to keep from fainting when we
see each other.

In truth:

how does God keep from fainting
looking at Himself all day?

Light is moving like a stream, and
the myriad celestial beings
applaud.

Rumi

Fire has a love for itself -
It wants to keep burning.

It is like a woman
Who is at last making love
To the person she most desires.

Find a Master who is like the Sun.

Go to His house
in the middle of the night.

Smash a window.
Act like a great burglar -
Jump in.

Now,
Gather all your courage -
Throw yourself into His bed!

He will probably kill you.

Fantastic -
That’s the whole idea!

Hafiz

Wayfarer

Your whole mind and body have been tied
To the foot of the Divine Elephant
With a thousand golden chains.

Now, begin to rain intelligence and compassion
Upon all your tender, wounded cells

And realize the profound absurdity
Of thinking

That you can ever go Anywhere
Or do Anything

Without God’s will.

Hafiz