With Us

"Even if you're not a seeker,

still, follow us, keep searching with us.
Even if you don't know how
to play and sing,
you'll become like us;
with us you'll start singing and dancing.

Even if you are Qarun, the richest of kings,
when you fall in love,
you'll become a beggar.
Though you are a sultan, like us you'll become a slave.

One candle of this gathering
is worth a hundred candles; it's light is as great.
Either you are alive or dead.
You'll come back to life with us.

Unbind your feet.
Show the rose garden---
start laughing with your whole body,
like a rose, like us.

Put on the mantle for a moment
and see the ones whose hearts are alive.
Then, throw out your satin dress
and cover yourself with a cloak, like us.

When a seed falls into the ground,
it germinates, grows, and becomes a tree:
if you understand these symbols,
you'll follow us, and fall to the ground with us.

God's Shams of Tabriz says
to the heart's bud,
"If your eyes are opened,
you'll see the things worth seeing."

-Rumi

Sunday, November 30, 2008

Ireland

Goodbye Africa....


The bus ride did not have toilets....and took 28 hours... and at one point did not stop for 7 hours... and it was HOT! I've never felt so sticky. The best part was when we stopped at the weight check point and had to wait 2 hours for them to decide to unload the overloaded luggage onto a truck that would later meet us at the border to reload. Atleast it was a safe ride... we started it with a prayer led by the bus driver. I found that to be extremely uncomforting to know that we needed to pray for our safety.

I'm going to miss all the oddities of africa... like the fact that the capital of Zambia does not have a single crosswalk within the city. Dodging speeding cars in heavy traffic is super fun. I'll miss how when people say "I'm coming just now" they really mean "I'll probably come, but definitely not within the next hour." I'll miss eating questionable street food and drinking questionable water and finding questionable insects in my hair. And I'll definitely miss getting caught unprepared in spontaneous lightening storms after suffering through 47 degree celsius heat.

Although I already miss Africa (despite the obnoxious parts) I've been exploring Dublin and loving it. I love the street performers and the living statues that poke you with sticks when you turn around. I love the buildings with bullet scars and bars and beer and people. I saw my first mummified persons and my first fur protesters. Both were equally scary.

Off to the country side soon...

p.s. more pictars on previous post.

3 comments:

Adamo said...

its you!

you look beautiful

dragonflies said...

Okay, you must get a few of those hardback books created with your photos and stories. We will forever cherish it.

Justin said...

SOON!