Chapters 16-18 Summary

In Chapter Sixteen, "Spiced Manna" describes the kind of sustenance Hafiz offers in his poetry. "A Hard Decree" warns against not finding joyful work and being swallowed up by the world. "And For No Reason" describes spontaneous worship. "Sometimes I Say to a Poem" describes a poem as an ornery sprite determined to be heard. "The Suburbs" of God is where complaint is possible. "Love Lifts Me" is the response of the bird defying gravity and gloom. "We Might Have to Medicate You" is what Hafiz says to people who don't understand the constant reality and proximity of God. "The Idiot's Warehouse" is the place full of distractions from the divine. "When You Wake" describes communing worshipers as two cups of water poured into the same pitcher. Hafiz describes the challenge of teaching in "This Teaching Business Isn't Easy", and in...