The soul within our individual souls
loves the one who runs and falls down

more than the one who sits and watches.
The soul within soul lives in a lover.

Consider this metaphor: how you love is
the open sky. These personal selves are

the separate roofs of a town. Your tongue,
the guttering where words flow. If the

roof’s not clean, the water-words get thick
and murky. Some people have elaborate

systems that drain water from other roofs.
This is not wise. There’s a false eloquence

to it. A lover is one who waters a garden
from the rain barrel that fills under his

own roof. Roses that grow from that have
tears in them. Sometimes the scale pans may

weigh correctly, but the balance is off.
A sweet doctor may give bitter medicine.

A foot finds the right shoe in the dark.
Love moves on its way through the pleasures

it feels. Even though the time you live in
is violent and frightening, you’re safe in

Noah’s boat. If you want to know who someone
is, hang around with those close by. They

know. The rule that covers everything is:
How you are with others, expect that back.

If you want to know God, enjoy the company
of lovers. If you want to be thought a great

person, learn some subtle point and say it
with many variations as the answer to every

question. If you want to live your soul,
find a friend like Shams and stay near.