Essence

Essence

i’m in love with a woman

the man said to his friend

describe her to me

the friend asked,

how beautiful

how desirable is she?

the most beautiful

most desirable

i have ever seen

i love how her hair

whips and floats in the air

when the wind is strong

i love how her eyes

can be full of so much

pain and innocence

simultaneously

i love the ripe fruit

of her mouth

of its magic power

to form words

from the passage of air

i love the sound of her voice

especially when it’s very early

or very late

when it’s molten, hot, honey

flowing from her throat

i love the length of her arms

the way ligament

and muscle stretch

over knuckle bones

when she makes a fist

the smooth shell-pink petals

of her clean, clipped nails

i love the arch of her foot

the soft pads

of flesh beneath her toes

the moon

of her heel

but most of all

i love her smell

how it wafts, warm

and sweet

rising off her skin

and how she makes

every perfume

mingle fully with herself

and smell uniquely

her own

the friend became restless

come, you must

show me this woman

you talk about so passionately

i yearn to see her too

they walked through

narrow, dusty lanes

until they came

to the one

that led to her house

let’s wait here, the man said

and they sat cross-legged

under a tree

several hours passed

the friend became impatient

then suddenly

the man seized his arm

look!

he said

there she comes

in her indigo cloak

and orange beads

a woman in blue

walked past

head lowered

gait modest

her clothing was poor

but very clean

she was

neither too old

nor too young

neither too fat

nor too thin

a plain and

simple woman

who had lived

at least four decades,

borne children

seen heartache

raised a family

bitterly disappointed,

the friend said to the man

she’s pleasant enough

but not so young

and so plain

so ordinary!

the man smiled

you don’t understand

she makes

flowers burst open

in laughter,

makes trees

speak to me 

because of her

when i see

the full moon

i weep

she’s turned me

into a happy lunatic

a drunkard

an addict

but i take, nor need

any other intoxicant 

the whole world

has become my drug

every song, every landscape

every morsel of fruit

every kind word

sends me into raptures

because i love her

i love the whole world

everything and everyone

in it now

is heart breakingly

unbearably

beautiful to me

how can that be true?

the friend was incredulous

how can a woman as ordinary

as she seems

have such an effect on you?

the man shook his head

i can’t explain

language is not adequate

but it’s all we’ve got

i can only give hints

point at something

in the silence

between my words

so listen:

i don’t look at her

with my eyes

my eyes disintegrated

the first time i saw her

i started to fall apart

she’s cracked open

the shell

around my heart

and set my soul free

she could be

a crone

a beggar

a decrepit old man

it doesn’t matter

what the outer form is

what matters is

Essence

which has no form

no apt description

no book

no teacher even

who can explain it

Essence

sparks a fire

sets ablaze

one soul

from another

this is what’s burning

the old, dead trees

inside me

what’s left

is the sea of contentment

of our origin

with the light of this fire

when my soul

sees her soul

what else can i see

if not ravishing beauty?

what else can i do

except be in Love?

12^th september 2013


Audio Recitation

from the upcoming book: "The Truth Is Love"
photo credit: Jim Nilsen, www.seedsandfruit.co

for a copy of "Set My Heart On Fire" in pakistan nalayn publications

in South Africa intent publishing 

and internationally amazon