02 February 2016

ON WANTING TO BE A SUFI

ON WANTING TO BE A SUFI 
© Farouk Asvat 

     for Jalal'uddin Rumi, who brought me here 

There are obstacles to being a sufi:
The chrome chairs in the lounge,
Allah engraved on aluminium panels in the corridor,
Bronze statues in the heart,
And leaden Buddhas sitting in the stomach;
Silver chains hanging around your neck
And platinum bangles tinkling around your ankles;
In the imams whose names are longer than the kalimah,
In the white robe of the pilgrim,
And the untrimmed beard of the believer;
In the pewter jugs filled with holy water,
And in the sparkling pleasures of your desires:
There are obstacles to being a sufi.

     There's an emptiness in your chest
     Where your heart used to beat;
     There's a void in the heavens
     Where God used to sit.

          So do not go looking for God.
          He will find you.
          He is not only in the stars;
          He is also in the almond tree
          Blossoming in your garden.

               so be silent.
               be still.
               sacrifice yourself
               in the name of Allah.
               and in the feast of an empty stomach
               you will find Him dancing on your tongue
               laughing with you.


© farouk asvat

composed: 26.10.2004, 05h00, after dawn, 11 ramaDwaan 1425 [johannesburg, south africa].

[] Acknowledgements:
On Wanting To Be A Sufi was previously published in:
     Goodreads (usa, 10.12.2011, January 2012);
     I Dream In Long Sentences (kindle, 2015);
     I Dream In Long Sentences (amazon paperback, p57, 2015).
[§] Books by Farouk Asvat:

Sadness In The House Of Love (novel)
The Gathering Of The Storm (novel)
I Dream In Long Sentences (poetry)
The Wind Still Sings Sad Songs (poetry)
A Celebration Of Flames (poetry)
The Time Of Our Lives (poetry)
This Masquerade (short stories)
Bra Frooks … (poetry)*
The Paanies Are Coming (short stories)*
In The House Of Love (novel)*
Weapons Of Words (comparative literature & literary criticism)

¨ all my books are now available on amazon: in paperback & kindle
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© farouk asvat.  All rights reserved.
Farouk Asvat asserts his moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
No part of this publication may be reproduced by any means whatsoever, or transmitted in any form or any means whatsoever, mechanical or electronic, including recording, printing, photocopying, or via any computerised means or media, including the internet.  This publication shall also not be stored in a retrieval system.  And the writing shall not be sold, lent, hired, resold or circulated in any form or binding or cover other than that in which it is published,
without the prior permission of the author in writing.
Permission to publish or reproduce the writings in any format can be obtained from the author.
Reproduction of this work without permission, except for scholarly & nonprofit purposes,
is liable to a payment of 10, 000 ren men bi or US$ 1,500.

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the NOVEL Sadness In The House Of Love by Farouk Asvat
is now available on amazon: in paperback @ $15 & kindle @ only $5
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