Saturday, July 13, 2013

"Where is God?", according to Kabir, 15th century mystic

I was invited to AN important conference
where many learned men from different countries
were all going to address the topic

Where is God?

I was wearing my best clothes and had even fasted for a week,
hoping to sharpen my mind.
Just before I was to leave though,
I felt powerfully drawn to a little shrine in my bedroom,
and
I WENT there and knelt to pray.

I could not believe what happened next:
Kali threw HER arms around me and started tearing at my clothes,
then she started throwing delicious food into my mouth,
purposely missing several times it seemed,
to soil my pundit attire;

and then she MADE me perform many times as if I were her
husband; then she said, "Now, Kabir, don't be LATE for that big talk,
and don't change your clothes-- I like that love-stained look;
maybe it will become chic!"

I arrived just as it was my turn to stand before this august crowd,
and apologized for my appearance.

"So....Where is God?," the head of the conference asks me.

"Well ( well, I stammered) if you really want to know the truth
--if you hurry--
you might catch Her legs spread
back at my
pad."



Rendering by Daniel Ladinsky,  from Love Poems from God,
some 13 mystics, many of whom think along these lines

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