Write Spirit

Ancient wisdom and modern inspiration

Archive for the ‘poetry’ Category

Rumi Poem – If

 

If

If you can disentangle
yourself from your selfish self
all heavenly spirits
will stand ready to serve you

if you can finally hunt down
your own beastly self
you have the right
to claim Solomon’s kingdom

you are that blessed soul who
belongs to the garden of paradise
is it fair to let yourself
fall apart in a shattered house

you are the bird of happiness
in the magic of existence
what a pity when you let
yourself be chained and caged

but if you can break free
from this dark prison named body
soon you will see
you are the sage and the fountain of life

 

By: Rumi

Translation by: Nader Khalili

Quotes of Rumi

Photo by Prabhakar: Sri Chinmoy Centre Galleries

Prabhakar’s Turkey Gallery

 

What is this Life if, full of care?

 

poem

Leisure

 

WHAT is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare?—

No time to stand beneath the boughs,
And stare as long as sheep and cows:

No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass:

No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night:

No time to turn at Beauty’s glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance:

No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began?

A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

 

By: W.H.Davies

Photo by Pranlobha: Sri Chinmoy Centre Galleries

 

Poetry of the Sufi’s

 

 

Looking at my life
I see that only Love
Has been my soul?s companion
From deep inside
My soul cries out:
Do not wait, surrender
For the sake of Love.

– Rumi

 

Sufism is the mystical branch of Islam. It has its roots in the Qu’ran and the Islamic tradition, but at the same times encompasses the universal mysticism that we see in other spiritual traditions

Despite the difficulties of describing their experiences, the words of the Sufi Seers still tease, cajole and inspire us to look beyond the page and into our own hearts. For those who love words, it is necessary to have poetry, which can take us beyond the domain of the intellect. Hafiz beautifully describes the purpose of a poet.

“A poet is someone who can pour light into a cup, then raise it to nourish your beautiful parched, holy heart.”

 

The Ecstatic Poetry of the Sufi’s at Poetseers.org

Photo by Unmesh Swanson Sri Chinmoy Centre galleries

You are in Me

 

You are in Me

 

Brightest being
In sun-surprised February
Flower out of season
You illuminate the night
A falling star
Shower after shower
My sky is empty now.

You are in me

By: Gabriel Rosenstock

Artwork: Angelee Deodhar (India)

New poem of Gabriel Rosenstock – lines written in Bangaram Lakshadweep Islands

See also: Haiku Poem

 

Spring Poem: by William Blake

 

poem

Spring

by William Blake

Sound the Flute! Now it’s mute.
Birds delight Day and Night;
Nightingale In the dale,
Lark in Sky,
Merrily, Merrily, Merrily, to welcome in the Year.

Little Boy, Full of joy;
Little Girl, Sweet and small;
Cock does crow, So do you;
Merry voice, Infant noise,
Merrily, Merrily, to welcome in the Year.

Little Lamb, Here I am;
Come and lick My white neck;
Let me pull Your soft Wool;
Let me kiss Your soft face:
Merrily, Merrily, we welcome in the Year.

 

 

 

By: William Blake

Photo by Richard Sri Chinmoy Centre Gallerie

Poems about Spring at Poetseers.org

“We Love what Common hearts repel”

"The truth mind could not know unveils its face,
We hear what mortal ears have never heard,
We feel what earthly sense has never felt,
We love what common hearts repel and dread;
Our minds hush to a bright Omniscient;
A Voice calls from the chambers of the soul;
We meet the ecstasy of the Godhead’s touch
In golden privacies of immortal fire."

Excerpt from "Savitri" by Sri Aurobindo, Book I, Canto Four, lines 78-85)

Poem: Live Your Life

 

poem

Live Your Life

 

Live your life that the fear of death
can never enter your heart.
Trouble no one about his religion.
Respect others in their views
and demand that they respect yours.
Love your life, perfect your life,
beautify all things in your life.
Seek to make your life long
and of service to your people.
Prepare a noble death song for the day
when you go over the great divide.

Always give a word or sign of salute when meeting
or passing a friend, or even a stranger, if in a lonely place.
Show respect to all people, but grovel to none.
When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light,
for your life, for your strength.
Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living.
If you see no reason to give thanks,
the fault lies in yourself.
Touch not the poisonous firewater that makes wise ones turn to fools
and robs the spirit of its vision.
When your time comes to die, be not like those
whose hearts are filled with fear of death,
so that when their time comes they weep and pray
for a little more time to live their lives over again
in a different way.
Sing your death song, and die like a hero going home.

By: The Teaching of Tecumseh

Photo by Pranlobha Sri Chinmoy Centre Galleries

Quotes on Death