The Shepherdis My Father Poem by Mohammad Younus

That shepherd is my father—
Whose prayers, a sweet lullaby,
Immersed me in silence
For a long time.
His identity, lost
In the crowd of illusioned minds,
And false gurus claiming knowledge.

False Guru!
His intellect, dim, his mind
Disillusioned.
His life, a fierce and long battle
Of illusions,
Never once able to sing
A divine love-song.

False Guru!
He was never accompanied
By the lights of wisdom or truth,
Carrying books—unread and ungrasped—
A burden on his back.
His chest still bears ancient lores,
Myths that kept him bound.

False Guru!
His only wealth,
The milky-white or saffron-colored robes,
Yet he never learned purity or restraint.
He is stuck in marsh and mud,
Surrounded by dark clouds,
Surrounded by sycophants,
Chasing empty promises.

But my true father,
The Divine, Himself rescued me—
With the sweet song of 'Hu, '
Leading me straight
To His eternal embrace
Under the tall pine trees
of His heaven,
Where His healing touch,
The wisdom of His love,
Cured the bitter wounds
Inflicted by false gurus.

MyKoul