Orpheus Wore That Look

Orpheus wore that look of astonishment for the
rest of his life

How could he have been so
thoughtless as to turn around?

And so near the top?

Wasn’t hearing her behind him on the
steep gravel enough?

It was all dark anyway and he couldn’t
have made out those features that

so swung him around

In the end Majnun even says he doesn’t want to
actually be with Laila

He has Laila inside him

If we’re given a command and its
conditions knowing full well breaking it

entails disaster

what crazy mechanism inside us
whispers its shaytanic hiss to

flagrant disobedience?

Adam and Eve! Back to the original
in the leafiest loveliness known

plucking fruits at our pleasure
and being held accountable for our

wrong move so deeply inspired
a split second of

colossal miscalculation we
pay for for the rest of our lives

The two beloveds almost floating up the
steep incline from the Underworld

They could feel the upper air’s fresh
breezes on their eyelids and cheeks

Orpheus could have evermore sung his joy

Is this an explanation for the
rough time we have here?

We can’t control ourselves to do what’s
right?

Is lament the real song we sing
each time we sing?

Even as we dress it up as “Orpheus:
The Musical”?

Do we own any of this?
Is our own phantom lurking around in the

shadows to curse us?

Can’t our clear face face God and
win the day?

Can’t the Prophet’s mere gorgeousness in every
act of his control us?

God’s Peace seal us in His embrace?

4/19/14 (from The Sweet Enigma of it All)

Ecstatic Exchange