Circumambulate

This weekend i was reflecting on my recent pilgrimage to the Bahá'í World Center. Of my four trips to the Holy Land i had the bounty of being present twice for the commemoration of the Ascension of Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith. It is at the hour of His passing on May 29th (4:00am) that the Tablet of Visitation is said. After that those present circumambulate the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh. It is such a magical and special experience and i wanted to express it in some way in verse. The following poem came to mind.

Circumambulate

Within the sacred quadrant
Deep into the night
Sitting upon chairs
For a long, and eventful night


It was but a few score years ago
That our lord took his flight
To His realm above
This very night

And now before,
His Holy Shrine
A host assembled
From this realm and above
To commemorate that hour
When the earth trembled
At its loss, with love

As the night charges on
From all corners of the world
A multitude gathers and prays
at this very spot
That stands before us
And like a silent chorus
We stand at the appointed hour
The prayer said
With meter and power
Resonating it sounds
And like a ladder
Takes our souls
To a place newly found

The prayer ends
We turn and walk
To circumambulate
That blessed spot

Silently and deep in thought
We walk
step by careful step

Each step upon the broken tiles
A reminder of those tests and trials
The sound not unlike falling chains
Releasing souls from
This earthly reign

Circumambulating
That sacred throne
The host passes
One by one

The Shrine
Bathed in light
On that deep dark night
Washes onto the passer
In seeming return
For the devotion expressed
At every turn

And while this host
passes all around
Across the world
The prayers sound
To this very spot
This very night
In the realm above
A glorious sight

With heavy hearts, we leave
for, but a brief moment
in another place
Not of this world
But small trace
of reunion
shiidon, August 2007