The God Who Only Knows Four Words

December 7th, 2009

The God Who Only Knows Four Words

 

Every

Child

Has known God,

Not the God of names,

Nor the God of don’ts,

Not the God who ever does

Anything weird,

But the God who only knows four words,

And keeps repeating them, saying:

 

“Come dance with me.”

Come

Dance.

 

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You’re It

September 29th, 2009

You’re It

 

God

Disguised

As a myriad things and

Playing a game

Of tag

 

Has kissed you and said,

“You’re it–

I mean, you’re Really IT!”

Now

It does not matter

What you believe or feel

 

For something wonderful,

Major-league Wonderful

Is someday going

To

 

Happen.

______________________

Hafiz, translated by Daniel Ladinsky

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Persian Poet Who Changed My Life Forever

July 23rd, 2009

With the help of Daniel Ladinsky’s translations in

The Gift

POEMS BY HAFIZ THE GREAT SUFI MASTER

An Iranian Poet Has Lifted My Soul Forever

_______________

I Have Learned So Much

 

I

Have

Learned

So Much from God

That I can no longer

Call Myself

 

A Christian, a Hindu, a Muslim,

A Buddhist, a Jew.

The Truth has shared so much of Itself

with me

That I can no longer call myself

A man, a woman, an angel,

Or even pure

Soul.

 

Love has

Befriended Hafiz so completely

It has turned to ash

And freed

Me

 

Of every concept and image

My mind has ever known.

 

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Dropping Keys – by Hafiz

July 16th, 2009

The small man

Builds cages for everyone

He Knows.

While the sage,

Who has to duck his head

When the moon is low,

Keeps dropping keys all night long

For the

Beautiful

Rowdy

Prisoners.

_____________________________

I saw Hafiz on the streets of Tehran, wearing green!

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I’m writing …

July 16th, 2009

I’m writing an article about the many reason I pray for co-experience of live within the worlds religions.  This one will take  some time. 

I’m also writing an article on the many reasons I pray for freedom in Iran.  This article will illustrate only a few of the many cultural treasures known for the most part only to the Persian people.

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Email Suggestions to Us Here

June 24th, 2009

suggestions@starcrosscrescent.com

 

.

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Machiavelli on Iran

June 24th, 2009

A note to the Iranian people.  It seems to me that your religious leaders are following Machiavelli rather than Allah.    This is a starting point if you’re not familiar with Machiavelli.  Livestrong Iran.  Livestrong.   Your courage is remarkable.

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We Have Not Come to Take Prisoners

June 21st, 2009

We Have Not Come to Take Prisoners

 

We have not come here to take prisoners,

But to surrender ever more deeply

To freedom and joy.

 

We have not come into this exquisite world

To hold ourselves hostage from love.

 

Run my dear,

From anything

That may not strengthen

Your precious budding wings.

 

Run like hell my dear,

From anyone likely

To put a sharp knife

Into the sacred, tender vision

Of your beautiful heart.

 

We have a duty to befriend

Those aspects of obedience

That stand outside of our house

And shout to our reason

“O please, O please,

Come out and play.”

 

For we have not come here to take prisoners

Or to confine our wondrous spirits,

 

But to experience ever and ever more deeply

Our divine courage, freedom, and

Light!

_______________

Hafiz, translated by Ladinsky

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My Confusion on Iran as a Christian

June 18th, 2009

The price of gas spiked in the 70s when I was a boy.   I found the epithets used in reference to Muslims, at least in my small circle of family and friends, to be repulsive, egregiously so.   I recall wanting a word like egregious to describe these fits of rage that came over grown men in torrents.   

An opportunity to check the pulse of the old familial anger toward Muslims presented itself this week with the death of my 97 year old grandmother.   I went out of my way after the service to queue those cousins and uncles most susceptible to fits of uncontrollable rage over things that are beyond their control.  I lobbed a few harmless gas price comments.  No takers!  I received a bit of empathy but no ire.  Wow. What the…  I approached the father of a career-Navy cousin.   Nothing.  He was always an easy target, too.   Later, in the privacy of my parent’s home,  I released an old reliable cannon shot on my brothers.  Iranian nukes! What are my conservative brethren feeling these days about Islamic extremists with nukes, I wondered to myself, aloud.  It seems one of my brothers actually read that one article in that big finance magazine.  The one that described how a handful of powerful self-righteous money-lenders in America cornered the market on oil (or something akin to this anyway) last summer with the intention of ruining a competitor who was selling oil short.  They drove their competitor into bankruptcy and America deeper into recession.  

They accomplished something else altogether unintended.  They apparently drove the fear of Islam from my brothers’ collective conscience.   Now, I don’t control these conversations.   I start ‘em then sit back and watch.   Again, nothing.  I found, literally, no xenophobia.   Anger, to the extent that it was revealed at all, was astonishingly introspective.   It seems our war mongers may have cried wolf too often, too passionately.  I sense a new American consciousness.  It’s less hateful, less fearful, more willing to nod in agreement with diversity.

What does all this have to do with the fact that I’m (that we’re) Christian?  Nothing.  Nothing whatsoever. Not a damn thing.   I’ve spoken with normal, everyday, macho, American men who tear-up discussing the possibility that the people of Iran are about to change the world.  Forever. 

Be strong Iran.   They cannot rule without your consent.    This bears repeating.   They cannot rule without your consent.  

guest author / jv

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Hafiz is in the streets of Tehran!

June 18th, 2009

 

 

We Have Not Come to Take Prisoners

 

 

We have not come here to take prisoners,

But to surrender ever more deeply

To freedom and joy.

 

We have not come into this exquisite world

To hold ourselves hostage from love.

 

Run my dear,

From anything

That may not strengthen

Your precious budding wings.

 

Run like hell my dear,

From anyone likely

To put a sharp knife

Into the sacred, tender vision

Of your beautiful heart.

 

We have a duty to befriend

Those aspects of obedience

That stand outside of our house

And shout to our reason

“O please, O please,

Come out and play.”

 

For we have not come here to take prisoners

Or to confine our wondrous spirits,

 

But to experience ever and ever more deeply

Our divine courage, freedom, and

Light!

 

 

 

Again, Hafiz, translated by Daniel ladinsky

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You’re It Tehran, You’re It!

June 17th, 2009

www.starcrosscrescent.comenlightened onesanother enlightened

 

 

 

 

 

You’re It

God

Disguised

As a myriad things and

Playing a game

Of tag

 

Has kissed you and said,

“You’re it–

I mean, you’re Really IT!”

Now

It does not matter

What you believe or feel

 

For something wonderful,

Major-league Wonderful

Is someday going

To

 

Happen.

 

Hafiz / translations by daniel ladinsky

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Tehran, this is bigger than T Square

June 17th, 2009

Live Strong, Tehran, Live Strong!

http://www.tehran24.com/tehran/photos/index.cfm

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Watch Election Riots in Tehran

June 14th, 2009

 With global support this too will move us forward. Watch Riots Here

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Lightness Gratitude Excellence Unity

June 14th, 2009
There is a growing sense of urgency and momentum behind President Obama’s recent speech in Cairo.  This blog was created as a medium for people around the world to post comments of encouragement for Palestine, Tehran, Tel Aviv and Washington DC.  It is time.  Let’s embrace the fierce urgency of now.  Share your support for this movement toward diplomacy and peace through the comments tab below.  Thank you, and welcome!
 
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