We never seem to know enough. It often seems we live in a constantly frustrating need-to-know basis. Given the weight of sorrow we must carry and/or witness, it can seem unfair. Worse we are asked to believe in positive outcomes which we often do out of sheer frustration and fear of what horror a lack of faith may hold. It should hardly come as a surprise so many cannot maintain belief and they break. I'm not even sure how I maintain but for an annoying penchant to be struck by the persistent beauty of the natural world and what I've personally been willing to experience of the miraculous. I do think we all have something to do about our life experience and that we are easily distracted from our deepest intentions but this is all of my own fashion and doesn't spring from some vast knowing.
Hafiz posits his frustrations in this poem and receives cold comfort which he shares compassionately because he's Hafiz and because he knows that being a good human is a shit show.
...Dear World, I can offer
An intelligent explanation
For our suffering.
But I really hope it makes sense
To no one here,
And come morning,
You are again at God’s door
With ax and pickets,
Eloquent petitions and complaints...
~Hafiz
Thank you for listening.
Music: I think I will let Leonard elaborate on this for your consideration. He had spent a lot of time in his life contemplating humanity and penning his reflections on the matter. This song is on his 2014 album Popular Problems. There is the invitation to respond to our loss of innocence that few of us know what to do about yet.
The original post in this series of poems by Hafiz can be found here.
The Gift: Poems by Hafiz and translated by Daniel Ladinsky can be purchased here.
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