In God Makes the Rivers to Flow; An Anthology of the World’s Sacred Poetry & Prose, Eknath Easwaran includes a selection from Hazrat Inayat Khan entitled “Prayer for the Peace of the World.”  I’ve written the following poem-like reflections inspired by this selection.

Peace of the World

O Thou, the Almighty Sun,

            Whose light cleareth away all clouds,

            We take refuge in Thee,

            King of men, God of all deities,

            Lord of all angels.

—Hazrat Inayat Khan

O Holy One,

our minds are full of clouds,

our hearts are full of clouds

only you can clear.

We need your light.

We need to curl up in your arms,

to rest our heads on your chest.

We need to find sanctuary

in your great palace.

We need to find peace in your love.

You are all there is.

You are all the love there is.

You are all the joy there is.

You are all the peace there is.

You are our only hope.

You are the beginning of faith.

You are the essence of truth.

You are pure reality.

When the mists of illusion rise

from the ground,

your light and your heat dispel them.

Nothing can dispel the mists

like your light.

The nations have their rulers,

their governments, their tribes,

but you rule over them all.

You bring order to the nations.

Nothing can happen without your consent.

In our freedom, we create suffering.

In your love, we find healing.

Your love has no beginning and no end.

It washes over us like the rain.

It cleanses us.

Without it, life has no meaning, no purpose.

Without it, there is no reason to live.

All the things we think we seek

are just meaningless substitutions for your love.

We began with love in the no beginning.

And while we have transitions,

there is no end to our lives.

We live with you in the everlasting.

We live with you and your glorious joy.

There is nothing greater than being known by you.

There is nothing greater than knowing you.

There is nothing greater than resting in your perfect peace.