Rumi Poem: Tending Two Shops

[liveonearth]

Tending Two Shops by Rumi

Don't run around this world
looking for a hole to hide in.

There are wild beast in every cave!

If you live with mice,
the cat claws will find you.

The only real rest comes
when you're alone with God

Live in the nowhere that you came from,
even though you have an address here.

That's why you see things in two ways
Sometimes you look at a person
and see a cynical snake.

Someone else sees a joyful lover,
and you're both right.

Everyone is half and half,
like the black and white ox.

Joseph looked ugly to his brothers
and most handsome to his father.

You have eyes that see from that nowhere,
and eyes that judge distances,
how high and how low.

You own two shops,
and you run back and forth.

Try to close the one that's fearful trap
getting always smaller.
Checkmate, this way,
Checkmate, that

Keep open the shop
where you're not selling fishhooks anymore
You are the free-swimming fish.