In the tavern where stars pour wine from cracked jugs,
I found you—not by map or name, but by the pull of invisible thread
that stitched our dust together before the first dawn blinked.
My soul knew you in the womb of nothing,
when we were still light without edges,
two sparks laughing in the Beloved's palm
before the great scattering flung us into bodies, into time's slow ache.
I had no face then, yet I dreamed your gaze—
a river of black silk flowing backward to the source,
carrying the scent of jasmine from gardens that bloom only in sleep.
We were fragments of the same shattered moon,
wandering galaxies like lovers exiled from each other's skin,
searching through centuries of silence,
through the cold hush between heartbeats.
Then your eyes met mine,
and the covenant flared alive again:
the old promise whispered in fire-script across the vault of heaven—
to circle, to collide, to remember.
Your voice entered me like a reed flute played by wind from another world,
each note unlocking doors in my chest I never knew were locked.
In your silence, portals yawned wide—
old wounds rose like roses from ash,
shadows danced into light,
and the fire I thought long dead roared up hungry, holy.
You became mirror of my hidden gold,
teacher wrapped in storm-clouds and honey,
calm harbor inside the whirlwind.
At your nearness, time grew ashamed and fled—
clocks dropped their hands like useless leaves,
boundaries melted into breath,
and only this remained:
two hearts drumming the same ancient rhythm,
two rivers remembering they were once one sea.
Whether you stay to build a house of flesh and dawn,
or only pass like a comet brushing my sky awake—
it no longer matters.
After you, no road ends in loneliness,
no darkness holds its full weight.
Because somewhere in the effortless birthplace of light,
where lovers dissolve into the One who dreamed them both,
we will keep turning toward each other—
not to arrive, but to recognize,
again and forever,
the same face behind every mask,
the same flame wearing different robes of skin.
In that recognition, love does not die.
It simply forgets how to pretend it ever began.
🦋A
Reading this poem stirred in me a deep reflection on the concept of soul recognition, something I’ve personally experienced in moments of profound connection. It’s that inexplicable feeling of familiarity with someone you’ve never met before, like an invisible thread pulling you together through time and space. I recall a moment when I met a close friend during a trip overseas, and despite our brief acquaintance, our connection felt ancient and unspoken. The poem’s imagery of two sparks laughing in the Beloved’s palm or hearts drumming the same ancient rhythm resonates deeply with such experiences. Soul recognition is often described as the moment when you encounter someone and feel your soul recognizing theirs as if recalling a long-lost part of yourself. This feeling goes beyond physical appearance or common interests — it’s a profound emotional and spiritual bond. The poem captures this essence through metaphors of rivers, jasmine gardens, and shattered moons, symbolizing the eternal journey of souls seeking to reunite across lifetimes. What stands out is the poem’s message that this connection exists independent of time, place, or circumstance. Whether a person stays in your life or passes like a comet, the bond alters your perception of loneliness and darkness. This reflects the idea in spiritual traditions that love is not confined to beginnings or endings but is a continuous remembrance of the same flame wearing different robes of skin. For anyone who has felt a deep connection to another soul, this poem speaks to that invisible yet powerful recognition. It invites us to acknowledge that behind every mask, we are united by a timeless love that never truly dies. Understanding this can bring comfort and a sense of belonging, especially when life feels transient or isolating. In my own life, embracing this concept has encouraged me to be more open to subtle, intangible connections with others. It reminds me to cherish moments of synchronicity and to trust that certain relationships are guided by deeper forces beyond the material world. Ultimately, the recognition of soul in another illuminates our shared humanity and the infinite love that binds us all.
