Sunday Sufi Poetry Share

I want to emphasize how important it is for the voices of women to be heard more in every realm. As such, today's Sunday Sufi Poetry Share is from one of my all time favorite works by a living female Sufi poet. If this poem moves you, I'd encourage you to search out more of her work. She published a book in 2014, Set My Heart On Fire: A Collection of Sufi Poems.

You Owe It To Yourself

by Shahbano Aliani

you owe me 
nothing 
no respect, 
loyalty, affection 
no gratitude, 
kindness, honesty 
nothing

you owe it 
to yourself 
to find out 
who you really are 
and why 
you are here

you owe it 
to yourself 
to savour the exhilaration 
of acting courageously
of letting go 
in trust 
that you exist 
in a Loving Embrace 
that holds 
and protects 
and nourishes you, 
no matter 
how or where 
you fall

you owe it 
to yourself 
to act according 
to the voice of Truth 
that lies in your core:
correctly 
with integrity 
and courtesy
otherwise you condemn, 
loathe and damage 
your own self

you owe it 
to yourself 
to discover 
that you are 
and always 
have been 
steeped in Mercy, 
Kindness and Blessing

you owe it 
to yourself 
to experience 
your heart 
overflowing 
with so much gratitude 
that you cannot help 
but give and give 
and affirm and affirm
for its own sake

you owe it 
to yourself 
to sing and 
dance and weep 
from the sheer overwhelming
uncontainable joy 
of being alive

you owe it 
to yourself 
to realize 
that you and i 
are not separate, 
but interconnected, 
and at our core, 
we are one

that when you help me, 
you help yourself
when you affirm me, 
you affirm yourself 

and when you love me, 
you love yourself

you owe it 
to yourself 
to discover 
that your cause, purpose 
origin and destination 
are One 
and they are all 
Love

my precious 
my dear
dear one
you owe it
to yourself

you owe it
to yourself