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In reply to the discussion: Thank goodness for men who like sex [View all]
CTyankee
(68,179 posts)Have you ever read the 13th century Afghan poet, Rumi? He was a Sufi mystic but many of his writings were what you might deem porn or erotica. I studied him in a grad school course in Mysticism. In one poem, he describes a young woman enjoying sex with her donkey in pretty explicit terms. He also describes his relationship with Shams,his spiritual adviser, very erotically ("Come to me naked. There's no one here..." For many years translations of this poet's writings were censored or sometimes the sex stuff was just translated into Latin. But now we have Coleman Barks's translation and his erotica is laid bare. It is incredibly beautiful and demonstrates a close relationship of the divine with the human.
If anyone asks you
how the perfect satisfaction
of all our sexual wanting
will look, lift your face
and say,
Like this.
When someone mentions the gracefulness
of the nightsky, climb up on the roof
and dance and say,
Like this.
If anyone wants to know what "spirit" is,
or what "God’s fragrance" means,
lean your head toward him or her.
Keep your face there close.
Like this.
When someone quotes the old poetic image
about clouds gradually uncovering the moon,
slowly loosen knot by knot the strings
of your robe.
Like this.
If anyone wonders how Jesus raised the dead,
don’t try to explain the miracle.
Kiss me on the lips.
Like this. Like this.
When someone asks what it means
to "die for love," point
here.
If someone asks how tall I am, frown
and measure with your fingers the space
between the creases on your forehead.
This tall.
The soul sometimes leaves the body, the returns.
When someone doesn’t believe that,
walk back into my house.
Like this.
When lovers moan,
they’re telling our story.
Like this.
I am a sky where spirits live.
Stare into this deepening blue,
while the breeze says a secret.
Like this.
When someone asks what there is to do,
light the candle in his hand.
Like this.
How did Joseph’s scent come to Jacob?
Huuuuu.
How did Jacob’s sight return?
Huuuu.
A little wind cleans the eyes.
Like this.
When Shams comes back from Tabriz,
he’ll put just his head around the edge
of the door to surprise us
Like this.”
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