I may turn my head, I may linger away, I may crumble into dust. When the sun rises through the curtain of trees, When the sun dips behind the golden mountains, When the sun glows from my own chest; Glimmering gold dust caught in a beam, I can feel You. I can hear You. I can heed You. Like a warm embrace, Like a soft wave, Like an overwhelming elation. No words can ever paint this. No song can ever evoke this. No painting can ever write this…. Look into my eyes, Look into my words, Look into my smile, Do you see it now? His Presence. His Embrace. His Mercy, Faintly reflected in me. Aren’t we all a little bit Opalescent, Reverberating, Echoing That primordial Light, That primordial Love, That primordial Presence, Our Creator? I see it in you, dear friend. Thank you. When the illusions melt into the moss. When the silence melts into a birdsong. When the deception melts into the sunlight. I can rise again. And dance, Step after step. And walk, Step after step. And run, Step after step. And long for flight, Like a bee, Like a bird, Like a prayer. The muddy path cool under my barefoot The thorny brambles spiky against my open palms. The thick droplets so wet in my tangled hair. Trickling, Trickling And sticking. The rain is a blessing, my dear. The rain is an offering, my dear. The rain is a sign, my dear. A sign of hope. A sign of renewal, A sign of rebirth. Can you feel it? Convulsing, Trembling, Quivering. Oh so fresh and new! Ideas spurting out like delicate mushrooms. Ideas blooming out like fiery chrysanthemum Ideas spreading like golden amber leaves. You, oh You my Keeper, are whispering in the breeze. You, oh You my Home, are sheltering me in the woods. You, oh You my Sustainer, are nurturing me with this fire. With every sputter, With every flutter, With every flicker, Warmth spreads to my skin. Warmth spreads to my limbs. Warmth spreads to my heart. Scampering away the dark ebbs. Chasing away the whirling empty pool. Flushing away the ashen specks That taints my vision. That sinks my spirit. That cracks my will. Let them roar. Let them moan. Let them croak. My spirit remains untouched. Safe, Warm, Encompassed in Your Light. Dear Love, I cal them love, but You are My One True Love. My Origin, My Home, My Destination. The First, The Ever-Present. The Last I do not wander in vain. I do not seek in vain. I do not linger in vain. For my path takes me to, Depths they cannot imagine, Horizons they cannot comprehend, Summits they cannot see. Where even imagination isn’t enough. Where even introspection isn’t enough. Where even observation isn’t enough. Could I ever tell them about it? Or will they also fly away? Freedom, They philosophy and lament about it. They scatter off clothes and ties for it. They follow every whim and fancy for it. Freedom? I ask. Freedom? Are you truly ready for it? Mere mortals, Mere animals, Mere cells, We are. And yet, And yet… We stand at the edge Of the ever expanding and contracting universes. Of the ever spreading and shrinking atoms. Of the ever departing and returning breath. Within our selves, Within our chest, Within our souls. Yes, my friend, do close your eyes . Yes, my sister, do open your mouth. Yes, my son, do listen with your ears. and find the secrets nestled in your breath. and find the gems scattered in your breath. and find the peace nurtured in your breath. Open your eyes, and remember it always. The secret, The key, The answer, That we will never be able to explain. No voice, No claps, No words; Only the breath.
Layla Ali Sultan 