Secret

There's a secret in this madness.

Everything is breath.

A toadstool is Spirit-blown

like glass.

This mossy stone must be 

the supreme Being
because it exists.

The wing of a housefly reveals

a thousand verses of scripture,

but you need to look.

The fur
on a golden shelter dog

is infested with celestial messengers.

Your next inhalation, the intimate name
of Lady Wisdom, Sophia,

whose whisper only lovers know.

How does Mount Fuji float on a cloud?

How do a billion stars

rest in your open palm

like a black moth?

It happens through the science

of miracles.

The sun and planets in free-fall,

caught and held by some

colossal stillness.

Be a pilgrim, then you'll understand

the secret in this madness.

Let the radiance of your destination

illuminate your starting place

before you take the first step.

Let the space between

the beginning and the end

be a single exhalation of grace.

What stands in your way

is seeking.

Everything is breath.

Now polish the earth

with your footsteps

like a grail.

What does whirling mean?

It means you give up the journey

and dance in all directions

at once.

Painting of whirling Sufi by Ananya Poddar