The beloved’s street I avoided <br />In repentance of the sin in puritan desires <br />I held to the world my hands for alms <br />For songs for the beloveds of Solomon <br />From Song of Songs I brought on air <br />With magic of love from underneath <br />The suspended poems and voices from distance <br />I came across Vedas and imaginations absurd <br /> <br />A heart of gold I found on the way <br />A princess Indian when she saw the glitter <br />To her in gift for she shall adore it to worship <br />Some small lines from the Chinese wisdom <br />I followed the line of the great traveler <br />From north of Africa into the caves of Far <br />Flamboyance from Arabia and Persian way <br />A friend old there and the tavern old <br />The wine new the goblet rusted <br /> <br />A lament to a beauty a sigh of relief <br />The old woman’s hands for her blessings <br />Slow and slow when the horse of my will <br />In tired repose entered the city of love <br />Past the tavern and the saki in veil <br />Slow and slow the beloved was singing <br />Still my song alive on the lips <br />Lost she says she has her heart <br /> <br />Bring thy glance slow and slow <br />Slow and slow shall my love unveil <br />When your heart is the holiest of places <br />Why ambulate in circles and rituals <br />Slow the love slow the intoxication <br />Red wine slow in abundance tonight <br />22/1/2009 <br /> <br />P.S This poem completes the triangle with the other two poems “I Search You” and “When You Were Dancing”.<br /><br />Sadiqullah Khan<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/slow-the-love/
