What is the difference
Between your experience of Existence
And that of a saint?
The saint knows
That the spiritual path
Is a sublime chess game with God
And that the Beloved
Has just made such a Fantastic Move
That the saint is continually
Tripping over Joy
And bursting out in Laughter
And saying, “I Surrender!”
Whereas, my dear,
I am afraid you still think
You have a thousand serious moves.
This poem, inspired by the fourteenth-century Persian poet Hafiz, appears in I Heard God Laughing: Poems of Hope and Joy (Penguin, 2006) and is used here by permission of the author.
Art & Theology 
I love this angle on the spiritual life. Thank you for sharing this!
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I agree. Love the painting and the poem—especially since I’m often so serious. Thanks for sharing this.
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Thank you Emily for finding this poem and the illustration, so true!
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Oh my goodness, I love this curation so much. So. Much. Thank you!
My spiritual direction cohort was given the assignment to name ourselves. We chose the name Holy Fools after listening to a teaching on the ascending and descending life which in its fullness produces what our teacher referenced as Holy Fools.
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[…] “Tripping Over Joy” via Daniel Ladinsky (a poem) […]
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Love it, love the site!
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[…] “Tripping Over Joy” poem by Hafiz, translated to English by Daniel Ladinsky. A poem that reminds us not to take life too seriously, to delight in the game: […]
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