“… closer than now where everything happens, you, my beloved, are this …” ~ Pir Elias Amidon
This poem is from Munajat, a book of forty prayers, by Pir Elias Amidon, originally inspired by the Munajat — whispered prayers, or intimate conversations with God — of the 12th Century Persian Sufi, Abdullah Ansari. The poem is titled This in Munajat.
In the introduction notes, Elias says: “… On the one hand praying in this manner is love-talk evoking the nearness of divine reality, and on the other hand it can’t help but go mute as it points to the unspeakable majesty of the Real. It’s a form of prayer that endears at the same time that it is in awe …”
For more information on Munajat, please visit our post: Pir Elias Amidon: Munajat – Forty Prayers: In The Cathedral.
Closer than words that form in my mind,
closer than tongue that says them,
closer than now where everything happens,
you, my beloved, are this.
I call you gracious but that is a word,
I call you God but that’s an idea,
I call you you but that is a fiction,
you, my beloved, are this.
You flare supernovas and spin every atom
and blink every eye in the world,
you lift every wing and kiss every lover,
you, my beloved, are this.
I turn to myself and ask what I am,
I ask what feels what I feel,
you don’t say a word but tell me with light,
you, my beloved, are this.
~ Pir Elias Amidon
To see/read all of Elias’ post, click here.
Again, for more information on Munajat, please visit our post: Pir Elias Amidon: Munajat – Forty Prayers: In The Cathedral.
Visit Elias Amidon’s Teacher’s Page for a comprehensive overview of his background, and work.