An Endless Sea

In front of me

An endless sea

Flows as far as the eye can see

Filled with movement, beauty and grace

Yet tears flow freely down my face

For on these rocks my feet must be

Clearing blocks so the source is free 

To flow into this glorious sea

To change its depths and every place

In front of me

I wish I could jump in this sea

And give all of my energy

To finding pearls in the darkest space

And into hearts of children place

The tools to recognize the sea

In front of me

Badi

He carried Your proclamation with faith unyielding

A boy with the courage to face a Shah

Your message of utter truth he was wielding

And nothing could alter the vision he saw

Transformed by his time in Your glorious presence

His heart’s foundation rearranged and alight

Created anew, ablaze with Your essence

He set out on a journey to deliver Your light

                                                                       

When each of us leaves this Holy mountain

We leave transformed, as Badi left
Aflame with Your love, a billowing fountain
Carrying Your proclamation to the sorely bereft

A Divine Springtime

As night gives way to the dawns first rays
We greet the new day and sing God’s praise
The sun’s embrace warms the earth with His grace
By its radiant face traversing the vastness of space

In the breath of the morn a new breeze is born
One many have sworn with their lives to adorn
It’s fragrance speaks of a Beauty unique
For any who seeks to attain it’s great peek

So we pray for His light to illumine our sights
Like birds taking flight unto glorious heights
And we soar on the wings of the King of Kings
As nature gladly sings of His blossoming Spring

Your Words

In Your words I find and lose myself at the same time
I find beauty, truth and a call to ever glorious heights
Wisdom, love and my heart's delights

I watch the edges and veils of my ego fall away
Uncovered and brought to light by the hand of Your power
Chiseled away and refined with every passing hour

Through the blaze of Your love and confirmations
I am brought to life and transformed
My heart is guided, my body warmed

In You I place my complete and utter trust
Your song conducts the movement of my soul
Your pleasure and joy my only goal

I soar on the wind of Your guidance and love
Trusting in Your protection and grace
Ever striving to keep Your light upon my face

A Pen of Glory

A fountain of wisdom
This pen
Unknowable mysteries
Hidden within it
Its ink
Brings creation into being
Its potency
Lies within the mind of its wielder
A gift in my life
Its existence
A portal through which
I feel the warmth of His love

A Hidden Truth

A mist, a fog, a cloud
Blocks the vision
Obscures the Sun
Everything unclear
In order to see truth
You must investigate for yourself

He arose from the clouds
The clouds of materialism
Of hatred and prejudice
Of fear and fanaticism
He parted them
And brought back the Light of the Sun

Yet so many choose
To live in the shadows
To hide away from the Light
To worship the dirt and the rocks
They wait for the impossible
Not recognizing the Hidden Truth

The Báb’s Blessed Companion

Alone he ran across the field

Toward a magnificent countenance illuminating the skies

His focused attention would not yield

No force could block him from this prize

His ardor true and unconcealed

Though young, his heart was pure and wise

He walked right through the guarded shield

The mirrored Light before his eyes

He took this Light and his soul awoke

Though its protection would lead him to despair

For the love that Blessed name evoked

Imprisonment was his unwarranted fare

In his anguish he dreamt his Beloved spoke

A promise made in answer to a prayer

It calmed his soul in a single stroke

For the cup of martyrdom They would share

Three years he spent in expectation

Awaiting the return of the One he Adored

Till in a crowded street, silent with trepidation

He humbled himself at the feet of his Lord

Begging to be imprisoned with the Spark of Creation

He was led with two others through the massive hoard

Filled with wonder, excitement and exaltation

Finally reflecting the Light he had stored

That night along with the others arrested

He was asked a question he could not understand

The Báb begged them to carry out what He requested

That His life would be ended by a faithful friend’s hand

In terror and shock, he cried and protested 

How could such weight, he ever withstand?

But with detachment and trust he arose uncontested

And said he would follow any command

With this glorious act of love and devotion

He surrendered control to his heart’s Desire

The events that this sacrifice set in motion

Would connect him forever to the One we admire

The Báb praised his obedience with zeal and emotion

And chose him to share martyrdom’s attire

He opened before him the door of God’s Ocean

And kindled him in the blaze of God’s Fire

At noon the next day a miracle was seen

As seven hundred and fifty bullets missed their mark

The Báb disappeared, found calm and serene

Sharing with His secretary His final remark

The chief attendant and regiments left the scene

Unwilling to kill this melodious Lark

And the replacement soldiers just following routine

Would be remembered as those who stole Light from the dark

Anis’ last wish before he left this worldly space

Was to be hung so his head would shield the chest

Of the One with whose dust and eternal embrace

His mortal remains would forever rest

Love and joy emblazoned his face

As his soul flew high, released from its tests

Now his spirit resides under the dome of God’s Grace

Forever the Báb’s companion and guest

Pilgrimage Day 9: The Footsteps of 'Abdu'l-Baha

"O Lord, my God! Give me Thy grace to serve Thy loved ones, strengthen me in my servitude to Thee, illumine my brow with the light of adoration in Thy court of holiness, and of prayer to Thy kingdom of grandeur. Help me to be selfless at the heavenly entrance of Thy gate, and aid me to be detached from all things within Thy holy precincts. Lord! Give me to drink from the chalice of selflessness; with its robe clothe me, and in its ocean immerse me. Make me as dust in the pathway of Thy loved ones, and grant that I may offer up my soul for the earth ennobled by the footsteps of Thy chosen ones in Thy path, O Lord of Glory in the Highest." - 'Abdu'l-Baha 


Every step we have taken
On this journey of grace and wonderment
Has been living through Your eyes
Tasting the joy of Your presence
Watching Your light brighten the skies
Breathing the fragrance of Your essence

Each day we have spent with You
Has been a blessing and a treasure
But now we must bid good-bye to these unexplainable days
To walking in the footsteps of Your sacrifice and grace
To the potency of Your fire which has set us all ablaze
To a journey which now ends within Your warm embrace

But with joy we will take You with us
For we yearn to fulfill Your deepest longing
Take each step and each breath as we do
Let our desires and Yours become one and the same
In poverty accompany us as we travel for You
And help us cry to the world His Glorious Name

"O that I could travel, even though on foot and in the utmost poverty, to these regions, and, raising the call of "Ya Baha'u'l-Abha" in cities, villages, mountains, deserts and oceans, promote the divine teachings! This, alas, I cannot do. How intensely I deplore it! Please God, ye may achieve it." - 'Abdu'l-Baha

Pilgrimage Day 8: A Most Sacred Trust

"When all was finished, and the earthly remains of the Martyr-Prophet of Shiraz were, at long last, safely deposited for their everlasting rest in the bosom of God's holy mountain, 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Who had cast aside His turban, removed His shoes and thrown off His cloak, bent low over the still open sarcophagus, His silver hair waving about His head and His face transfigured and luminous, rested His forehead on the border of the wooden casket, and, sobbing aloud, wept with such a weeping that all those who were present wept with Him. That night He could not sleep, so overwhelmed was He with emotion. 'The most joyful tidings is this,' He wrote later in a Tablet announcing to His followers the news of this glorious victory, 'that the holy, the luminous body of the Báb...after having for sixty years been transferred from place to place, by reason of the ascendancy of the enemy, and from fear of the malevolent, and having known neither rest nor tranquillity has, through the mercy of the Abha Beauty, been ceremoniously deposited, on the day of Naw-Ruz, within the sacred casket, in the exalted Shrine on Mt. Carmel..." - Adib Taherzadeh

On the day His blessed life was stolen

Darkness obscured the skies

A gale of dust stole sight from all eyes

The world itself mourned His unjust demise

Anis, His pure and devoted servant

Gave his life to stand by His side

Glorious the manner in which he died

His head on the breast of his loving Guide

Their remains were thrown outside the city

Their bodies mingled into one

Their faces reflecting the Bountiful Sun

Their journey to burial barely begun

The authorities, wishing to quench the Faith’s flame

Protected the bodies from sight

But still they were stolen in the dead of night

By the lovers of His magnificent light

For sixty long years they journeyed far

The hands of His servants protecting this treasure

Their sacrifices and risks impossible to measure

This hidden mystery their deepest pleasure

Until at last the bodies of these blessed souls

Reached their final resting place

Abdu’l-Bahá with tears streaming down His face

Laid Them to rest under the dome of God’s Grace

The commitment and devotion of these few special souls

Is a blessing and bounty given to this world

For though into the path of danger they were hurled

Their actions saw the banner of our Faith unfurled

Lamp outside Abdu'llah Pasha in which the remains of the Bab were kept
hidden for a number of years. 

Pilgrimage Day 7: An Archive of Mystery and Light

"The world of being shineth, in this Day, with the resplendency of this Divine Revelation. All created things extol its saving grace, and sing its praises. The universe is wrapt in an ecstasy of joy and gladness. The Scriptures of past Dispensations celebrate the great Jubilee that must needs greet this most great Day of God. Well is it with him that hath lived to see this Day, and hath recognized its station." - Shoghi Effendi


The history of this blessed Faith
Embraced by marble and glory
Tablets, artifacts and those blessed pictures
Tell our Faith's triumphant story

Protected and cherished over many long years
Preserved by His lovers' devoted hands
Elegantly displayed for His servants and guests
With the reverence with which their importance demands

The photo of the Blessed Beauty
Struck a chord deep in my heart
The beautiful tablets and letters of love
The simplicity of the Master's garb

Shoghi Effendi's smiling face
The sword of the gentle Mulla Husayn
Khadijih's bracelet given with love
Navvab's letter of pride and of pain

That sweet and pure letter from Ruh'u'llah the martyr
The fruition of Bahiyyah Khanum's devotion
The blood stained shirts of the Bab and Mirza Mihdi
All brought deep, soul-stirring emotion

But the deepest was staring at Baha'u'llah's robes
For I was suddenly struck with yearning and love
A yearning to feel His garment surround me
To be clothed in His mercy and light from above

Pilgrimage Day 6: A Pilgrim's Journey

"Praise be to God that through His gracious bounty you were enabled to visit His exalted, His sacred and luminous Threshold, to refresh and perfume your nostrils with the sweet-scented fragrances of God diffused from these imperishable, holy Places. This wondrous gift calls for thanksgiving, and this heavenly bestowal warrants praise and glorification. And such praise is best expressed when one’s pilgrimage, one’s honour at attaining His holy Court and becoming the recipient of His favours and loving-kindness produce a profound effect and influence upon every aspect of one’s life, upon one’s bearing and demeanour, and one’s activities. There is no doubt that it will be so. " - Bahiyyih Khanum


Such a bounty this blessing
Such a wonder these days
Stepping away from the material
Our spirits set ablaze
The world beyond these hours
Seems naught but a distant haze
Guests of the Blessed Beauty
Our souls held by His gaze


The gates are opened wide
Only beauty greets our sight
His servants bow their heads in thanks
In the joy and devotion they delight
Without the presence of the pilgrims
These servants would be lost in night
For such purity, faith and unswerving devotion
Refresh and enable them to carry His light


Though these days are as fleeting
As a comet in the sky
They have the power to transform you
Your life spread out before your eyes
Like Badi, kindled in a single moment
His love so strong, for it he would die
If we take the same love from our own sacred meeting
We will assuredly fly

Pilgrimage Day 5: The Strength Behind Those Blessed Eyes

" 'I fought with myself until I conquered myself. Then I came back and I turned myself over to God and I was the Guardian.’ ‘Now,’ he said, ‘every Bahá’í in the world, every person in the world has to do exactly that same thing… regardless of what you are, whatever you are doing in the Cause, every Bahá’í must fight with himself and conquer himself. And when he has conquered himself, then he becomes a true instrument for the service of the Cause of God—and not until that. And he will not achieve as great a success until he has done it." - Quoting Shoghi Effendi from a talk given by Leroy Ioas

Even as a child upon his Grandfather’s knee

His destiny was written on the pages of fate

A burden and blessing would be His to be carried

A lifelong responsibility, an uncompromising weight

When his Grandfather died and the Will was read

His life as he knew it had ended

So he retreated to nature to conquer himself

To become the one on whom the world now depended

The sorrow and anguish faced in His path

Are more profound then words can mention

His achievements far greater than a poem can share

His courage and strength beyond comprehension

He brought administration through his faith and persistence

Guidance through his interpretive translations

Political relations through his trustworthiness and honesty

And the exponential spread of this Cause to all nations

Without his light bringing unity to our collective history

This Faith would have perished like many before

But he guided it through, he built the foundation

For pilgrims and lovers to pray at His door

Pilgrimage Day 4: Akka, Your Glory Awaits

"The Ancient Beauty hath consented to be bound with chains that mankind may be released from its bondage, and hath accepted to be made a prisoner within this most mighty Stronghold that the whole world may attain unto true liberty. He hath drained to its dregs the cup of sorrow, that all the peoples of the earth may attain unto abiding joy, and be filled with gladness." - Baha'u'llah


When He reached the shores of your city
He was met with banners of light
The atoms screamed their greetings
Though only He could see this sight

Instead your eyes were blinded
To the Gem standing before you
Sorrow and deep suffering brought
To the One who would transform you

Nine years He spent imprisoned
Within your tear stained walls
This time was spent in anguish
By the answerers of His call

His beloved son and servant
Died long before his time
Sacrificing his life
For the unity of mankind

Though you may not see it yet
Your future is bathed with Glory
For you were chosen by the Hand of God
To be the Mecca of His story

(The photo above was taken a year ago outside the Prison where Baha'u'llah was imprisoned, the photo below was taken today in the House of 'Udi Khammar a house where His family moved still within the walls of the city of Akka)

Pilgrimage Day 3: The Greatest Holy Leaf

“He is the Eternal! This is My testimony for her who hath heard My voice and drawn nigh unto Me. Verily, she is a leaf that hath sprung from this pre-existent Root. She hath revealed herself in My name and tasted of the sweet savours of My holy, My wondrous pleasure… Upon her rest the glory of My name and the fragrance of My shining robe.” –Baha’u’llah

To our world she is an immortal heroine

A blessing to all creation

To her Holy and Blessed Father

She was solace and consolation

A leaf upon His tree

A tendril of His flame

A soul beyond this world

A letter of His Name

Her life was filled with sorrow

Caused by others fear and blindness

Yet with courage and love she moved ahead

The embodiment of kindness

I pray to follow her example

To be gentle, loving and strong

To give my life to His Covenant

To sing her glorious song

Pilgrimage Day 2: Spreaders of Light

"Behold, there is an intermediary necessary between the sun and the earth; the sun does not descend to the earth, neither does the earth ascend to the sun. This contact is made by the rays of the sun which bring light and warmth and heat."  - Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks

As they walked into the room

The atoms screamed His Name

The power they exude

No force on earth can tame

To serve His Cause completely

Their one and only aim

The pillars of His guidance

The Ray's igniting flame

They feed the fire blazing

In hearts of every nation

Gently urging it to grow

Their guidance the foundation

Examples of devotion

His love's manifestation

Their presence on this earth a gift

Creator to creation

Pilgrimage Day 1: A Brilliant Flame Within the Sun

"The prayer of the prophets of God has always been, and still is: Oh God, I long to lay down my life in the path to Thee! I desire to shed my blood for Thee, and to make the supreme sacrifice." Abdu'l-Baha


To be steadfast as the stones on these paths

To be patient as the trees we walk past

To be fragrant as the rose that's in bloom

To see beauty in the dust and the gloom

To shine light upon the world as a lamp

To bring His love to others with His stamp

To fly above this world as a bird

To give my life as you did at His word

Your presence hidden in the Glory of your Lord

Your resting place the pivot of the prayers of all the world

Your deepest wishes answered in your sacrifice of love

Your worldly dust inseparable from that of your Beloved

Unquestioning obedience and a pure unhindered heart

Devotion the emotion which your memory imparts

You proved your faith completely, when you answered His request

And now forever in His arms your remains lovingly rest

The Fast

This mystical month has come again

A time which no words can adequately represent

When our minds are purified from self and passion

Our souls rejuvenated by Your intoxicating scent

The tests come stronger, the pain deeply rooted

But the successes triumph and the losses are muted

We fast not for fear or self and desire

But as an outer token of our spiritual fast

A time for us to strive to acquire

The virtues of the truly ablaze and steadfast

To restrain ourselves from aught but Your love

And be carried away by your breath from above

Each hour of each day is endowed with a power

A virtue, inscrutable to all except Thee

That’s two hundred and twenty-four radiant hours

Of striving towards setting our higher selves free

Each hour a blessing of struggle and pleasure

Which through Your mercy we may cherish and treasure

"I ask of Thee by Thy Self and by him who hath fasted out of love for Thee and for Thy good-pleasure—and not out of self and desire, nor out of fear of Thy wrath—and by Thy most excellent names and august attributes, to purify Thy servants from the love of aught except Thee and to draw them nigh unto the Dawning-Place of the lights of Thy countenance and the Seat of the throne of Thy oneness."
 - Baha'u'llah

Revelation

It falls, heavy and thick

Engulfing everything, nothing left unaffected

It pours, steady and quick

Purifying all creation, bringing life to the dejected

It streams, unhindered and transcendent

Enlivening the weak, giving sustenance to the sorely tried

It flows, undeterred and resplendent

Forging a new world, for those who put their egos aside

Proof of God's Existence

Your proof can be seen in the enchantment of a song

The beauty of a rainbow

The awe of inspiration

Your proof can be seen in the grace of a swan

The gentleness of falling snow

The joy of confirmation

Your essence can be seen in the purity of a child

                The kindness of a stranger

                The complexity of our world’s design

Your essence can be seen in the warmth of a smile

                The joint hope for a brighter future

                The unity of all mankind

'Abdu'l-Baha

Your light is the beacon which guides my way
Your example, the lens I look through each day
Your actions, a standard by which I judge my own
Your love, my constant companion as I've grown

You are my solace in times of sorrow
You are my reason for seeing tomorrow
You are my hope when all seems lost
You are my warmth in the winter's frost

Remembrance of You brings joy to my heart
A joy which nothing can force to depart
Your love is my light and Your deeds are my guide
And I know, in my heart, You will always reside