Poem by Rumi

When our water here

becomes saturated with pollution

it gets led back to the original water, the ocean.

-

After a year of receiving starlight,

the water returns, sweeping new robes along.

-

Where have you been? In the ocean of purity.

Now I am ready for more cleaning work.

If there were no impurity, what would water do?

It shows its glory in how it washes a face,

and in other qualities as well,

the way it grows the grass

and lifts a ship across to another port.

-

When the river slows with the weight of silt

and corruption, it grows sad and prays,

Lord, what you gave me I gave others.

Is there more? Can you give me more?

-

Clouds draw the water up to become rain;

the ocean takes the river back into itself.

-

What this means is

we often need to be refreshed.

[Note: Originally posted in March 2008.]