Beautiful Poem for the Fast

The Fast

O My loving companions on the path
Think ye that the fast is a burden?
Even should you waste into nothingness,
This would be a joy beyond compare.
For those that enjoy this mystic meal,
The True Fast begins at sunset.

If it be that thy stomach groans
And thy tongue is a desert,
Eat and drink thoughts of thy Beloved
Whose sweet fresh water cleanses
And heavenly food strengthens.

And as thy body empties itself, so too
Empty the cup of the heart of self and passion.
And in thy growing weakness
Feel thy humility before God and thy fellows.
And as the dreary hours pass along,
Think of what store of patience
Ye may gather for the coming year.

And as thy body begins to lighten,
Let thy soul float like a kite
In the breezes of the spirit
Though still attached to the form
Which is fulfilling its daily duties.

And when you desire something,
Think of the One Desired,
Who has created all of what thou hast ever desired.
And as your hunger grows,
Think of those less fortunate souls
Who cannot replenish their flesh
During the sleeping of the sun.

And when you break bread,
Think of thy fellow Baha'is all around the world
In unity with your actions.

Stephen Newbegin,
first published in the California Regional Newsletter,
June 1975