Hope

There is a story about a youth

Who lived in a land of darkness.

And in this land

No one had ever seen Light.

This youth was different than his friends;

In the quiet of the endless darkness

He would hear whispers

That seemed to originate from within his heart.

These whispers urged him to climb the mountains

That surrounded his home, and wait.

For many years, this fellow gave little thought

To the inner voice and its promise.

He continued his every day affairs

And at the end of the week, as was the custom,

Would indulge every sensory whim.

Finally after years of indulgence

In the midst of a drunken stupor

He was awakened by the inner voice.

            You choose darkness to the Light.

            You are foolish.

            With the sunrise

            Is the promise of the Lord.

And with these words the drunkenness left.

Impulsively this fellow began to run toward the mountains.

With the urgency of a lover

In flight to his beloved,

He scaled the mountains

And began to wait.

After many hours, the silence was broken

And the inner voice commanded.

            Turn toward the east.

            The Light shall be revealed

            And you will know the promise

            Of  your Lord.

And amidst the darkness of his world

The Light was revealed.

From that moment

He became foremost in faith.

As the sunrise is heralded

By faint rays of Light,

So, hope is eternal

Tomorrow will be brighter.

Although this world is filled with darkness;

Hope waters the heart of each believer.

For He/She that created the darkness

Also created the Light,

And darkness and Light follow each other.

-SB

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Check-out my two new books: Sufism for Western Seekers: Path of the Spiritual Traveler in Everyday Life and The Ferryman’s Dream.  Both books are available through Amazon.com or local bookstore.