thunder and rain

Your love stirs the oceans into reckless storms.

At your feet, the clouds drop their pearls.

Dark smoke rises in the sky; a fire burns

Where your love's lightning strikes the earth.

#523: From Rumi's Kolliyaat-e Shams-e Tabrizi

Search words: anger, resent, shake, stir

Incidents yesterday stirred up anger and resentment in me and I imagined myself shaking my fist up at the sky. The word stir finally got me a response from Rumi and I do think he is referring to the anger and resentment that arises when conflicts stir up emotions. The "you" in this verse sounds like a heavenly deity, a thunderous sky-god like Zeus or Indra. Below is an image from a painting by Alyam Moser in which the elements of conflict and anger are depicted together with a suggestion of the rain that pours down like pearls from heaven. It captures my mood well.

White Thunder, oil on wood

I am inspired by the look of warrior-like determination in this face and I will press on and work at overcoming the obstacles that have led to my current discomfort.