Fish to the Fisher

<p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1); background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1)>In 2018 Jeff Wolverton and I published a book of poetry Whistling Past the Tavern. Shortly after publication I found myself working on a poem that would have made a good ending for that book.</span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1); background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1)>The poem Whistling Past the Tavern begins this book. It makes a statement but at the same time asks the unstated question what now? ─ a question containing many questions and responses that are I believe for all lovers of Meher Baba deeply felt in many ways: How do I love You more? How shall I please You? What do You wish me to do? What now? Endless questions pleas cries shouts whispers silences.</span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1); background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1)>Though a few of the poems in this volume are memories decades old most of them came to me more recently in early morning while looking at a smiling photograph of Baba and reading His words or stories of His lovers ─ looking reading looking ─ in laughter tears confusion joy sorrow darkness light.</span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1); background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1)>Bob Jaeger</span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1); background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1)>What can we do when this outer life today fails to feed our soul? We have to turn inward to Him with our helpless homemade approaches as we swing from moments of great intimacy to periods of inevitable loneliness in the heart an aloneness so deeply expressed in these poems which is really the longing for Him a very silent wordless grief that reminds me of the grief that Hafiz Baba's favorite poet was forever expressing in his poetry.</span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1); background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1)>In these poems is contained the naked heart so clearly and vividly expressed and I am reminded of the thousands of moments in my own day-to-day life when I feel the same. It is clear that Baba is the only one who truly knows him and listens to his heart. I thoroughly recommend spending time in the deep heart where these poems have come into being.</span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1); background-color: rgba(255 255 255 1)>Jeff Wolverton</span></p><p></p><p></p>