Your Love Should Never Be Offered… by Hafiz
by Steven McCabe
Your love
Should never be offered to the mouth of a stranger,
Only to someone who has the valor and daring
To cut pieces of their soul off with a knife
Then weave them into a blanket
To protect you.
Hafiz (or Hafez) a Persian poet: 1325 – 1390.
I find the vivid imagery in his poem, in a sense, circular.
Which explains my use of repeated images.
While addressing his echo across the centuries.
poemimage 
Mad love for the poem….
I look forward to seeing whatever you come up with each post, Steven. The images all fascinate me in a way I haven’t words for. And I especially like this about them. I enjoy wandering up and down and through them seeing something different each time.
Hi j.h., Yes this poem carries a lot of weight…both forward and backward. With what he says should ‘be’ and what (we can speculate) often happens even if and when it has been done.. Thank you for your very generous words. You might well see something different while scrolling because I revise quite often. This post has changed three times. But I know what you mean about second ‘readings.’
deeply powerful words of love and your sensitive images dance through them and with them all the way…lovely post Steven…
Thank you John…I like your idea of the images dancing ‘through these words and with them…’ because one wonders ‘what is he saying…’
Deeply developed roots in the 14th century heart/postmodern eye
Intersection
The eye within the eye. Like when you look through a window inside at another world through your own reflection. I am in both places outside, cold and looking in, and inside- warm watching my cold self with longing. Blankets folded with snow. So much tension and the beautiful relationships of those colors and spaces opposing and cooperating.
I have loved Hafiz, ever since a friend gave me a book long ago. but I love how you are editing him for me these days, if that makes sense. -What you choose and how you “illustrate” him, even when you are not directly working with him.
Thank you, Steven.
Hi Jack,
I should actually say ‘thank you’ to you for writing the line ‘…Blankets folded with snow’ because it seems Hafiz would have found a Zen Haiku or line of Tanka sensibility to this image. Really it sums up everything.
Your comments also give me a new understanding of this looking in/looking out idea of the images created intuitively. As well as, perhaps, the process Hafiz experienced advising himself. If he was advising himself.
Thank you for adding an important new dimension to the exploration.
Your images are amazing as usual and Hafiz is a genius. I always say that I can read almost any ancient and world poetry any day, and enjoy it, and yet I can read tons of modern English poetry and hardly contain yawns (or worse).
Thank you about the images and yes about Hafiz. In terms of ancient and world poetry I hear you. In terms of poetry written in the English language you just have to figure what the odds are. Out of 50,000 poets writing in English you’re bound to find a hundred who move you. It’s what we discover I think. Maybe where we’re looking. Some stuff that is supposed to be great doesn’t touch me at all. But then I find work that inspires. And there’s always new work to stumble upon. Even new ‘old’ work.
Wow, gorgeous, Steven. Some of your images make me think of cells changing, shifting, responses …
Hi Karen, I had an entire reply typed out and the browser jumped and everything disappeared…I’ll try again…thank you for your response and thank you for your idea leading me down a path…cellular level, maybe that is where these images come from…’before’ thought…pre thought…I wonder if pre thought images are like pre worn vintage clothing, if so who thought the thoughts previously… the cells? all cells?