Misadventures with Rumi

 

Me: Devin, I need to read love poems. 

Devin: Why?

Me: Because they hurt. I need to find out why. 

Devin: That pain is the feeling of longing. 

Me: It sucks. I hate it. 

Devin: Here is "Eat, Pray, Love". You'll like it. 

Me: (Disappointed). Thank you, but that's not poetry. Do you have any Rumi? 

Devin: ......

Me: .....

Devin: I'm reluctant to give you Rumi. 

Me: Why? 

Devin: It can have a powerful affect. Diving too deep into love poetry can cause you to become mired in self-pity and inhibit your growth. You really should stick with something lighter. 

Me: Give me the Rumi. 

Devin: [Hands over "The Soul of Rumi"]

************

Two months later: 

Me: [Finally cracking open the book] Rumi, I'm lost. What wisdom can you offer me? 

Rumi: 

Sneezing out Animals

I look for the light I used to 

see. The key is hidden here

somewhere. I face toward India, 

then Turkestan. I am the ground

you walked on. There's an old

story about Noah's ark when the 

garbage began piling up. Yes! 

That scow was in deep trouble. 

Noah scratched a pig's back: 

the pig sneezed out a rat, two

rats: the rats ate the garbage: 

then Noah scratched a lion who 

sneezed out cats which ate the 

rats. I was sneezed out by a

lion and put in a bag, where I

heard, If you're a lion cub, tear

the bag. I did. Shams Tabriz 

lives beyond the blue bag of sky. 

Me: WTF Rumi.