answers from the elements

  

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A whole afternoon field inside me from one stem of reed.
The messenger comes running toward me, irritated:
Why be so hard to find?
 
Last night I asked the moon about the Moon, my one question for the visible world, Where is God?

The moon says, I am dust stirred up
when he passed by.
 
The sun, My face is pale yellow
from just now seeing him. 
 
Water: I slide on my head and face
like a snake, from a spell, he said. 

Fire: His lightning,
I want to be that restless. 

Wind, why so light?
I would burn if I had a choice. 

Earth, quiet and thoughtful? 
Inside me I have a garden
and an underground spring.

This world hurts my head with its answers, 
wine filling my hand, not my glass.
 
If I could wake completely, I would say without speaking
Why I’m ashamed of using words.


—Rumi

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