THE GREATEST LOVE POET HAFEZ SHIRAZ

I KNOW HE IS NOT ON MY LIST.
 BUT HE IS THE FOUNDATION FOR ALL POETS AND POETRY EVERYWHERE. 
SO YOU MUST MEET HIM,


This ancient Persian Poet, HAFEZ SHIRAZ, (1315-1390) is a mystic and considered love to be the center of all things.
So do we, if we are Christians.  Christ said repeatedly that Love is all that matters.
PAUL  TOLD US -- So there remains three things, FAITH HOPE AND  LOVE  But the greatest of these is LOVE.

Here is how Hafez writes about Love--

___

It Felt Love

How

Did the rose

Ever open its heart

And give to this world

All its

Beauty?

It felt the encouragement of light

Against its

Being,

Otherwise,

We all remain

Too

Frightened.

____

The Day Sky

Let us be like

Two falling stars in the day sky.

Let no one know of our sublime beauty

As we hold hands with God

And burn

Into a sacred existence that defies -

That surpasses

Every description of ecstasy

And love.

___

Faithful Lover

The moon came to me last night

With a sweet question.

She said,

"The sun has been my faithful lover

For millions of years.

Whenever I offer my body to him

Brilliant light pours from his heart.

Thousands then notice my happiness

And delight in pointing

Toward my beauty.

Hafiz,

Is it true that our destiny

Is to turn into Light

Itself?"

And I replied,

Dear moon,

Now that your love is maturing,

We need to sit together

Close like this more often

So I might instruct you

How to become

Who you

Are!

____

The Subject Tonight is Love

The subject tonight is Love

And for tomorrow night as well,

As a matter of fact

I know of no better topic

For us to discuss

Until we all

Die!

__

WHEN I WAS IN GRADE SCHOOL at Saint Joseph's MY FAVORITE TEACHER WAS A  SISTER  OF MERCY and  she showed me one day the motto inside her  wedding ring-

-AMOR SINE MODO
LOVE WITHOUT MEASURE
that was her theory and, dear reader, that was her practice.