The silences in us
Tag: Poetry
My city at night
Have you ever
Heard your city at night?
She will talk to you
Of what she saw in the light.
Talk of the lovers who kissed
for the first time on the bridge and
the homeless man below it,
weakened more today,
closer to death a little bit.
Politicians talking of welfare
in front of a crowd,
and plotting warfare
as soon as the masks come down.
I see it all,
I hear it all
and I bear it all.
Still, if ever
you need a listening ear
and a friend near,
you will find me here.
Just come over
at night, when everyone sleeps.
Stand on a bridge
Feel the wind in your hair
Stare into the dark waters below.
Or go to a park
Feel the air in your lungs
Rest your hand on a tree
Dig your heels in the soil.
I am here, with you
Through it all
Tell me your story
And I will tell you mine.
You and I,
We shall be fine.
Search
I look for you when I am alone
The only one who felt like home
.
Frantically, my panic has grown
Then I realize –
In everything,
In my very being,
you are shown
.
You are me and I am you
I am not alone
I saw my beloved in all I saw
Once a human does enough work on their spirituality and integrates all aspects of their broken psyche – they will start seeing some part of themselves being reflected in everyone. This feeling of oneness is precious. There is no other, all are one. In such a state of oneness, a person starts knowing everyone as a manifestation of the supreme beloved who is the creator, sustainer and destroyer of this reality that we all play a part in. It is a bliss to be in this state of oneness.
Here is a beautiful Kalaam (spiritual discourse) by Hazrat Shah Niyaz (Sufi poet) sung by the amazing Sufi singer Abida Parveen. This Kalaam discusses how a person who has experienced this kind of oneness will then see God/Creator/Beloved in every person whom they meet. My translation & interpretation of it is below the video.
Meaning :
I am needy person, who needs you
I will feel very dearly the sorrow for a beloved like you
You are the Sun; my eye is alight with your beauty
If I give you up, to whom can I go?
.
I saw my beloved in all I saw
At times revealed, hidden at times
.
At times a possibility, at times imperative
At times ephemeral, at times eternal
.
At times Creator was an emperor with an addiction of power and the throne
At other times, was seen as a beggar with a begging bowl in hands
.
At times in the form of a beautiful lover
Creator was showing charms and grace
.
At times a lover like Shah Niyaz Ahmad (poet’s name)
He was seen beating his chest in grief with a heart full of pain
.
At times revealed, hidden at times
I saw my beloved in all I saw
.
Top image is roof of Hafez’s tomb (Hāfezieh) located in Shiraz, Iran.
Union with the beloved
I am not an expert in Sufism, just a student of it. I once heard an interview of a Sufi Sheikh who said something to the effect of – “All of life is a coping mechanism before we meet the beloved (the creator) again”
To me, this statement hit really deep.
That is why many Sufi songs will refer to God as a lover or beloved. Here is one such beautiful song by a wonderful singer called Romy. The song is called ‘Sanu ik pal chain na aave’ (I cannot be satisfied for even one second). The original was made famous by the legendary Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Please find the lyrics and translation to the one sung by Romy below :
Lyrics and meaning :
.
Sanu ik pal chain na aave
I can’t find satisfaction even for a second
Sajna tere bina
Without you my love
Dil kamla dub dub jaave
My crazy heart keeps on sinking
Sajna tere bina
Without you my love
Sajna tere bina
Without you my love
.
Raati mein jalava diva
At night I burn the lamp
Hanjua de tel da
With my tears as the oil
Hayyo rabba, sanjana nu
Oh my God, my love –
Chheti kyun ni mel da
Why don’t you meet me quickly
.
Sanu ik pal chain na aave
I can’t find satisfaction even for a second
Sajna tere bina
Without you my love
Dil kamla dub dub jaave
My crazy heart keeps on sinking
Sajna tere bina
Without you my love
Sajna tere bina
Without you my love
Peace
Come lie next to me
And let me speak
Speak to your heart
what my heart feels.
.
It feels no pain
And no joy
No worry, excitement or fear
All that remains is peace
.
I am happy here
Finally my restless soul is at peace
God is the master artist
You create
I can only imitate.
You are the only one
Creating a masterpiece
every moment.
How is it possible
That your glory be denied?
How can someone
Be so far from the truth?
One sunset, one sunrise
Can change a life.
Here’s hoping
You continue being the artist
And I keep getting inspired
To imitate you.
When a monk dies
When a monk dies
What does he leave behind?
Only love
Only teachings
Only a way out
Of this world of illusions
.
When a monk dies
How does that make one feel?
Oprhaned
Abandoned
Alone
Reminding us that
It’s time to live the teachings
It’s time to grow up
.
Dedicated to Thich Nhat Hanh (1926-2022)
Only love remains
What remains after we are dead and gone
Only love
What is true in this world of illusions
Only love
Trauma heals and transmutes into forgiveness
In this lifetime or the next
But when love touches someone
It cannot be undone
It transforms and heals all that is unloved
And only love remains
.
.
.
Park benches which give testimony of such love :
When the mask slips…
For how long
Do you plan to pretend?
For sooner or later
The mask always slips
The thousand masks
That you wear
Do not help hide
The ugliness from the Creator
For He always sees you
Completely naked
Like the day He created you
A perfect song to go with this poem (please turn on captions to understand the lyrics) :
Image source : https://discover.hubpages.com/health/Tactics-of-a-Narcissistic-Mother