Bulleh Shah

From "Another Voice"
Muzaffar A. Ghaffar
Ferozsons

All that is two-faced must die;
like the universe and black holes
like good and its evil ride
like beauty entwined with dross
all that stands stalwart at the edge of the abyss
all is half-poised
on the ever crumbling divide

So where is the still point
where singularity abides?
Where is the first alphabet
truth's sanctuary
from which was crafted
the calligrapher's art
the imagist's paint, stone and metal,
the philosopher's raven-hearted thought
the climber's mountain, and
the labours of the scribe?

Take me via the second alphabet,
through swooning forests
and earths that bite;
through light that pierces
where tyrant digressions, sword in hand
behead consciousness

Take me over the bridge on the torrent
across the corpus of beehives
beyond the race thing which caps my knees
and the alluring gender divide

Take me into the cauldron of faith
show me the umbilical chord that binds
the earth-mother with my naval, my mind;
show me fires that are heaven-bound
like never-ending ladders,
like the genie Himalayas sun-spiked

If you cannot do this
then let me be;
for this time in space
to the hushed rhythm of the pulsating, breathing, universe.
Let me re-enter baby's first smile