Soul and The Old Woman

 

A quick sketch in my art journal this morning


What is the soul? Consciousness. The more awareness, the 
deeper the soul, and when

such essence overflows, you feel a sacredness around. It's
so simple to tell one who

puts on a robe and pretends to be a dervish from the real
thing. We know the taste

of pure water. Words can sound like a poem but not have
any juice, no flavor to

relish. how long do you look at pictures on a bathhouse
wall? Soul is what draws 

you away from those pictures to talk with the old woman 
who sits outside by the door

in the sun. She's half blind, but she has what soul loves
to flow into. She's kind, she weeps.

She makes quick personal decisions, and laughs so easily.



-Rumi, Soul and The Old Woman, as translated by Coleman Barks

 

Namaste