From my poetry book Whispers of Emptiness
The Coming of the Sagehttps://www.amazon.com/s?k=whispers+of+emptiness+by+md+taslim&crid=22S4RKLMIS8KT&sprefix=WHISPERS+OF+EMPTINESS+BY+MD+TASLIM%2Caps%2C161&ref=nb_sb_ss_p13n-expert-pd-ops-ranker_1_34
In the valley of restless hearts,
Where men chase echoes and call them truth,
Silence began to move.
It was not loud, but
It reached farthest corners of the mind.
It did not speak, but
Every soul heard his name.
From silence came a Sage
Barefoot, calm, and shining with
Dust of long journeys.
He carried nothing,
He had long white hair and beard.
His eyes were like still water,
Which stars paused to see themselves.
The people gathered around him.
He sat with them
Under a tree
A woman asked,
Speak to us, for our hearts are heavy.
Our minds are full of questions.
Tell us of life, and love, and death.
Tell us of the soul and its longing.
Tell us what it means to be whole.
The Sage sat upon earthen heap,
Under the tree
Wind played softly with his hair.
He looked around as one looks upon a forgotten dream, and said,
“Children of the eternal breath,
You wandered far, but
You never left home.
Truth you seek is always within you,
Waiting in the quiet between
Two thoughts.
Come,
Let us walk together into silence.
Emptiness will teach you.
What fullness cannot.
People stood still
Not for his words, but
For his remembrance.
The Sage began to speak,
His words were like fragrance of rain.
Falling on long-thirsty soil.
