42
Love is lovely and lowly: it runs from high places
As swiftly as summer rain down a mountainside races.
In the mountain passes of intellect the heart freezes;
In the valleys of love how sweet are the scented breezes.
Mind toils like a spider that spins a new web every night;
Love is as idle as flowers that bloom for the Beloved’s delight.
Love is faithful to itself; intellect commits treason
To its own integrity through perverted reason.
Love is a company of banners in the morning;
Mind, a vain woman at night ignoring her mirror’s warning.
Love is a kookaburra laughing at sun-up and day-close;
Intellect is a violent cock that treads heart and foolishly crows.
Love is lovely and lowly: it seeks hollow places.
At the feet of the Perfect Master is where God’s grace is.
‘Love is…’ – a number of poetic definitions varied and alive.
Like running water love freely seeks the lowest places. As against thought it is free and full of delight. Poems such as this use their beauty of imagery to inspire. All the images work together to reinforce each other. The poem’s beginning and end convey a persuasive certainty. Unclench the mind!
A contrast to the descriptions of the hardships of the way of love, but so what? Love is unlimited freedom to the slaves of the Perfect Master.