NO!

Last night, I realized I can only take Rumi in very small doses.

I'd been trying to read a short chapter of Rumi poems each night, right before I go to bed.

But last night, after reading yet ANOTHER Rumi parable, a lengthy poem that had a big glaring moral or message in it (albeit wrapped up in some lovely images), my body started to go rigid, my hands balled up into fists, my eyes squinched tightly closed, and I found myself stamping my feet and shouting,

"STOP BOSSING ME!!!!"

I was really smitten with him for quite a while there, finding myself happily buoyed on some lovely poems of his. But I can only take the moral lessons for so long before I wanna scream and do bad stuff to good people.

I have the same sorta feelings towards another writer of parable, Paul Coelho--I can only take so much squeaky clean "the world is simple and beautiful and easy to understand" mentality before I wanna rip out my own teeth.

If you are a man of learning,
read something classic,
a history of the human struggle
and don't settle for mediocre verse.*

MAYBE I WANNA!

Reason is powerless in the expression of Love. Love alone
is capable of revealing the truth of Love and being a Lover.
The way of our prophets is the way of Truth. If you want to
live, die in Love; die in Love if you want to remain alive.*

How 'bout not!

Can you find another market like this?
Where,
with your one rose
you can buy hundreds of rose gardens?
Where,
for one seed
you get a whole wilderness?

For one weak breath,
the divine wind?*

Um, no, because THAT KIND OF MARKET DOESN'T EXIST!!!

THROUGH LOVE all that is bitter will sweet
Through Love all that is copper will be gold.
Through Love all dregs will turn to purest wine
Through Love all pain will turn to medicine.
Through Love the dead will all become alive.
Through Love the king will turn into a slave!*

Stop supporting zombies and reanimation!

Remember God so much that you are forgotten.
Let the caller and the called disappear;
be lost in the Call.*

Why don't you make me!

I know I'm gonna get ripped a 23rd asshole by some of you folks, so I'd like to reemphasize that I do in fact think Rumi has many lovely lovely poems and writes some damn jaw-dropping images (hence the infinite asterisked links above--and you can check out a bunch here and here as well). Don't get me wrong.

But I mean, you'd think with all that whirling, Rumi'd've been more apt to recognize the confusingness and complicatedness and chaos of the world rather than pulling forth simple and apparent truths about everything.

Or maybe the problem is that I am just too cynical and bitter and just need to start recognizing the simple and apparent truths about everything instead of looking at the world as confusing and complicated and chaotic?

Nah. The problem's GOT to be Rumi.

=)

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