I Am Not An Ascetic Poem by Mohammad Younus

No, I shall never be a fugitive from active life,
Never shall I be an ascetic sufi,
Call me by whatever name you must,
I have taken a vow with my lord to remember
Him at my home,
It is my firm resolve to fulfill solemnly my covenant,
Why can I find not in my busy world some hours...
...for remembering my covenant with my lord...
While working, or while relaxing under a shady Chinar
or willow tree,
I can be a secret companion to my lord, and do his zikre
constantly,
I need never to turn an ascetic sufi, for He is always with me,
Why should I leave my hearth and home, family and children,
Why should I retire from active life to become a monk or sadhu,
When I hear at home merry bells of God ringing all the time,

Mykoul