the chance of humming
A
man
standing on two logs in a river
might do all right floating with the current
while humming in the
now.
Though
if one log is tied to a camel,
who is also heading south along the bank –at the same pace-
all could still be well
with the
world
unless the camel
thinks he forgot something, and
abruptly turns upstream,
then
uh-oh.
Most minds
do not live in the present
and can stick to a reasonable plan; most minds abruptly turn
and undermine the
chance
of
humming.
- Rumi
Jalualud'din - or Jalal al-Din - Rumi was a 13th century Persian poet and Sufi mystic. It is said that "Even during his lifetime he was noted for his cosmopolitan outlook. His funeral, which lasted 40 days, was attended by Muslims, Jews, Persians, Christians and Greeks."
Translation from “Love Poems From God: Twelve Sacred Voices from the East and West” by Daniel Ladinsky.