Halima Hagi-Mohamed
Orphic Possession
She watches with still eyes
While whirling dervishes spin
In a hypnosis of devotion and surrender
The white of their cloth
Becomes like wool being spun
Vertigo is entirely forbidden to them
As they continue to spin
On and on
The lights dim at once
Soon they are covered in a glow of blue light
The atmosphere is electric
They continue to move in a quick motion
Balanced by the weight of their souls
***
There is hardly any sweets left
In the box of Turkish delights
The children look on despite this
While the whirling dervishes twirl
Never stopping to pant or rest
They continue to spin in a circle
Their sikke never bouncing
Or falling off their their heads
A golden light soon fills the gathering
The day is drawing to a close
The children are still perched
Watching, never blinking
The dervishes spin on
As if they were dreidels
Held only by time
***
The sufi singers sway
Reciting dhikr in a sweet cadence
Their heads bouncing up and down
Like jolts of light in the galaxy
They are driven with an insatiable need
To find solace within the soul
As they wait to embark on a journey
Of everlasting serenity and bliss
