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Brian Wilcox. 'the tree outside the window'
From where did this
taste of sublime sweetness
come to rest upon my lips,
lips bereft, before, of such supernal satisfaction?
"Friend, are you so surprised
that such fine flavor
would flow from so singular a gift of Love,
and for you yourself, though you feel unworthy to savor?"
Then, Beloved, please let me know
this one thing, for my contentment:
How could such touch impart
enjoyment so healing and heavenly here on earth?
"For I give, My Dearest,
not the outer sensation of flesh~which is passing~,
nor infuse with mere pleasing thought of mind~which leaves one empty~;
I give Myself and, thereby,
Entering you, Love mingles with love in an accord inexplicable.”
*Brian Wilcox. 'Love mingles with love.' March 12, 2007
* * *
The Sage got fatigued with the reasonable questions his followers would ask him. He knew of intoxication that has nothing to do with reason. After questions one evening, he said, "I'll tell you a story because many of you need to become unreasonable." This bewildered them, for they had no idea what he meant by unreasonable. How could the Sage want them to be like that?
A man named Majnoun and a woman named Laily were lovers. One day, some suspecting men, whose vision was constrained by inferior intelligence, bumped into Majnoun. He was wondering the streets, his head filled with thoughts of Laily. “Hello, Majnoun,” one of the men called. “We can't figure out why you're so madly in love with Laily. She's no beauty. What do you see in her?”
Majnoun struggled to reply, for his mind was filled with thoughts of Laily. “Majnoun," another of the men said, "don't look so surprised; we're serious! If you come with us, we'll introduce you to many beautiful girls, and you'll never again look at Laily!” “Your eyes are blind,” Majnoun said. “You can never see her beauty! Not like I do! To only grasp what's on the surface is the reaction of an idiot!"
Magnoun turned to walk away but came back to the men. “Let me tell you something!” he asserted. “To see only what the eyes see is like having a jug while oblivious to the tasty wine inside. I drink from a jug, and I taste the delectable wine; if you drink from the same vessel, God will only allow you to taste vinegar. The love Laily has for me will never enter your bodies. Love like I have for her shall never pull at your heartstrings. You see what you're prepared to see, that's all.”
Majnoun pushed his way through the group of men while holding his head high. He was more intoxicated in his love for Laily than ever before.
* * *
Whether one is outwardly ecstatic or quietly so, the heart, while not excluding reason, is beyond reason. Passion manifests from obvious to subtle. One may dance with abandon, while another sits silently with the same delight. This even as lovers, in alike passion, may hold each other quietly or surrender themselves into the ecstacies of coitus.
Love for the Divine undoes the reign of common sense we have been socialized to see is what most distinguishes humans from animals. So, unreasonable means beyond-reason, not before reason. With rapture of heart, the divine intoxication, one sees differently. Intoxicated with divine Life, one sees through the surfaces and into the inwardness of things. What does one see there? Beauty.
* * *
Touch me...
I become a candle aflame-
Those afraid of feelings flee
This place of the Heart-
I was born for this
Born for you
Loves many
Love One
My heart, shaped to receive
To dispense sweet Light
Your longing for me
Concealed in every longing of mine
Your waiting for me
Hidden in my every loneliness
One door opens to Home
You...
'Whisper!
Some are not ready to
Hear such things…'
*Brian Wilcox. 'Candle Aflame.' January 7.2006
* * *
©️ Brian Wilcox, 2020
*Brian can be contacted at briankwilcox@gmx.com; his book, An Ache for Union: Poems on Oneness with God through Love, is available through major online booksellers, including Amazon and Books-A-Million, or via the publisher, AuthorHouse.
*Story of Magnoun adapted from, Rumi. The Book of Rumi. Trans. Maryam Mafia.
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