Devotional Poetry

The Nineteen Day Fast

On the First Day of Fast

Age and medication
prevent fasting from food and drink,
not meditation and prayer.

On the Second Day of Fast

I read a prayer
revealed for the nineteen-day Fast,
and contemplate letting go.

In its essence fasting
is letting go of the desires of the flesh--
such as food and drink--
and holding onto spiritual qualities--
such as faith in God
and forgiveness.

At 73
I am learning to let go
of the prejudices
and fears
that come between me
and the Glorious Lord.

On the Third Day of Fast

Paragraph by paragraph
I consumes the word of God
feeding my soul on sacred scriptures.

On the Fourth Day of Fast

At 73,
I Fast spiritually.

Day by day
I let go of old habits
and thoughts
that hold back
the progress of my soul.

Prayer by prayer
I place each tests
in the hands
of God's Glory.

On the Fifth Day of fast

Sunrise to sunset
Prayers and meditation
For those who fast

On the Sixth Day of Fast

In prayer I speak
to the All-Glorious Creator!

In meditation I listen
for the Creator speaking
in the language of my soul.

Divine love
and forgiveness
emanate from the prayers
revealed for the nineteen-day fast.

On the Seventh Day of Fast

Sleep arrives
on the wings of prayer
revealed for the Nineteen-day Fast,
and I realize that,
because of age and medication,
I miss fasting.

On the Eighth Day of Fast

I intone a prayer revealed for the Fast,
a prayer that begins praise of God,
a prayer the ask protection,
and request forgiveness.

I meditate,
I realize the prayer
encourages obedience
and trust in God--
the only protection in times of trouble.

On the Ninth Day of Fast

I contemplate detachment,
and comprehend it
as one benefit of fasting.

On the Tenth Day of Fast

Oh Lord,
I am a pebble
resounding with Thy praise
in this age of unity.

On the Eleventh Day of Fast

I read
Fasting by Jelaluddin Rumi,
and it was a beautiful description
of the Fast.

On the Twelfth Day of Fast

Tranquility
embraces the mind and the soul
of the individual that places
complete trust in the All-Glorious Lord.

On the Thirteenth Day of Fast

Fast prayers inspire
Encourage the poet to write
Odes to the All-Glorious Lord,
Praising the Glory of God.

On the Fourteenth Day of Fast

When the body fast
the soul sips the wine of faith
from the chalice of God's Word.

On the Fifteen Day of Fast

I focus my meditation
upon the Word of God
revealed by Baha'u'llah,
the Glory of God.

On the Sixteenth Day of Fast

I meditate on a Fasting prayer:
it is the wine of Divine love
flowing from the Holy Spirit
into the chalice of immortality.

On the Seventeenth Day of Fast

I inhale the chill of morning,
and meditate
on the meaning
of the Nineteen-Day Fast:
Letting Go
and Letting God.

On the Eighteenth Day of Fast

I give thanks
for the blessing of the Fast,
and the approach of Naw-Ruz.

On the Nineteenth Day of Fast

I contemplate the coming year
full of joy, hope, and sharing
the word of Baha'u'llah
on the unity of humanity.