When I am with you, we stay up all night.

When you’re not here, I can’t go to sleep.

 Praise God for those two insomnias!

And the difference between them.

Everyone has someone, a friend to love,

And work, and skill to do it. All I have

Is a fantasy lover who hides

For safety in the dark of my heart’s cave.

God forbid I’d compare the moon to your face

Or the tall cypress to your stature and grace.

Where in the moon are ruby sweet lips to be found?

What cypress sways with the luminous grace of your ways?

You could string a hundred endless days together,

My soul would find no comfort from this pain.

You laugh at my tale? You may be educated

But you haven’t learned to love till you’re insane.

If you don’t heed my call and answer me

With joy, with the wine of your words, who will?

Shepherd of the world, refuge of the soul,

If you don’t keep us from the wolf, who will?

The nightingale comes to the garden, no more the crow.

Light of my eyes, to the garden with you I will go.

Like lilies, like roses, we’ll open out in blossom,

And we, like water running through gardens, will flow.

If I was not so pitifully in love

I wouldn’t then be standing at your door.

Don’t say, “Go away, don’t stand at my door!”

I wouldn’t exist, my dear, if I didn’t stand here.

The heart in me lives for the pain you cause.

The world is foreign, only pain’s a friend,

Who does this heart a favor just to come

Into a heart too wrung to offer room.

The harvest of my pain was its own peace and remedy.

As low as I had sunk, I rose, faith restored from blasphemy.

Body, heart, and soul obscured the path, until

Body melted into heart, heart in soul, and soul in love itself.

JUMA’AH MUBARAK!

…and JazakumuLlah khairas to the children who captured the photos and to the wondrous Maulana Jalauddin Rumi RahmatuLlahi alaihi for his soul felt imagery through words…

All good is from Allah Ta’ala whereas mistakes are from this humble speck. May Allah Ta’ala Bless all readers, bringing you all closer to Him and His Rasul SallAllahu alaihi wasallam.  May He accept our humble efforts and grant us the capacity to be good and do good. Ameen.