Coleman Barks

If you want to know God, enjoy the company

of lovers.

If you want to

live your soul, find a friend

like Shams and stay near.

This longing you express

is the return message

The love-thief steals the keys to our favorite rooms, steals our half-loves.

Love is my only companion.

“Be lost in me,” I said. “You’ll know love when that happens.”

I open and fill with love

and what is not love evaporates.

All the learning in books stays put

on the shelf. Poetry, the dear

words and images of song, comes down

over me like mountain water.

I used to want buyers for my words.

Now I wish someone would buy me away from words.

Copper doesn’t know it’s copper,

until it’s changing to gold.

Your loving doesn’t know majesty,

until it knows its helplessness.