It was during my time in Varanasi, India that I copied this poem from Sabine’s dog eared copy of “The Essential Rumi” by Coleman Barks. This marks the beginning of my interest in Rumi and his contributions to Sufic thought.



THE SEED GARDEN


Can you find another market like this?

Where, with your one rose

You can buy hundreds of rose gardens?

For one weak breath

The Devine wind?

You’ve been fearful

Of being absorbed into the ground,

Or drawn up by the air.

Now, your water bead lets go

And drops in the ocean,

Where it came from.

It no longer has the form it had,

But it’s still water! The essence is the same.


This giving up is not a repenting.

It is a deep honoring of yourself.

When the ocean comes to you as a lover, marry,

At once, quickly, for God’s sake!

Don’t postpone it! Existence has no better gift.

No amount of searching

Will find this.

A perfect falcon, for no reason, has landed on

Your shoulder, and become yours.