! In The Spirit Of Rumi - 23 Poem by Michael Shepherd

I asked My Beloved

How may I know the secret
of being a perfect Sufi,
insan al-kamil,
a perfect Friend of God?

My Beloved said

You will never in your life be sure;
and that is just how it should be;
that way, you will be safe in Me;

instead, seek always where My secret might be found:
as you walk, look closely at all of nature;
every flower, every tree, every lake, every cloud,
every bird, every animal;
look closely at them, to see
if they hold My secret;

as you walk down the street,
look into the eyes of each human being
to see if they know My secret in their heart;

listen to every sound and every word
in case My secret hides within them;

or in the scent of roses, or in the taste of food;

go to sleep with this question on your lips,
wake with this question in your mind;

and though you will never find the answer,
one day the question shall cease to be a question
and become the song which you have always known.