Kārvān/Konya

I was thirty seven, and you,perhaps three thousand.
Salâm.Sobh be kheyr. Esm e manJalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Balkhī hast.
Holy darvish,Shams-i-perende,Kāmil-i-Tabrīzī —I had not known thenthat I had been lookingfor you.

           Tarīqāh/Like this

I heardyou put a lockworth a whole threedīnārs on your door, leftwith the key hangingfrom your turban.
There was nothingin your room, was there —old rush mat, broken jug,brick pillow. Exquisitemadman.

            Ghazal/Damascus

I have been wanderingall over Dimašqu š-Šāmi,Madīnat-al-Yāsmīn — whereare you?

            Âtaš/When I die

Yāh Allāh, had youbeen lookingfor me?

Photo by Rhyan Stark