The Empty Love Sack

By Nin Andrews


There’s a Rumi tale of a Sufi who discovers an empty food sack and begins to sing praises to the empty sack, and to the bread that once filled the empty sack. He moans and chants and sings about the aroma and scent in the sack which is the aroma and scent of the bread that is no longer in the sack.  Other Sufis join in, praising the empty sack and the bread that once filled the empty sack, as if they, too, were suddenly overtaken by a terrible hunger.  Soon more and more Sufis join in, dancing to the emptiness within the sack, to the hunger in their souls that is so like the empty sack. 
A passer-by sees the dancers and wonders.  It’s just an empty sack.  Why are these men dancing?

Oh, the Sufis reply, it’s the hunger that we dance to.  And the love of hunger. And the love of the love of hunger.
Define the hunger.
Define the love of hunger.
Define the love of the love of hunger.


Nin Andrews is the editor of a book of translations of the French poet Henri Michaux entitled Someone Wants to Steal My Name from Cleveland State University Press. She is also the author of several books including The Book of Orgasms, Why They Grow Wings and Midlife Crisis with Dick and Jane. Her book, Sleeping with Houdini, was published by BOA Editions in 2007. Her chapbook, Dear Professor, Do You Live in a Vacuum, was also published in 2007 by Subito Press. Her next books, Southern Comfort, was published by CavanKerry Press.

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