Elise Gunteski Thoughts on the Beginning of In Baghdad... #2

 The first half of the first page of Rumi's "In Baghdad, Dreaming of Cairo; In Cairo, Dreaming of Baghdad," is already perplexing. This blog will be a few of my thoughts and attempts at detangling. The first four lines remind me of the calling of the muse from mythology. It is a call to attention. The next four lines, starting with "Either you see the beloved," has given me some difficulty. I have accepted it as what is the point if you don't allow yourself to enjoy or experience the fullness of life. The next parts are concerned with the journey and the destination, ending with "the real truth of existence is sealed, until after many twists and turns of the road." I think that it means that sometimes you need the experience and the journey in order to appreciate what you have. You return to home, where the journey began, but you are in a different place internally. This reminds me of Mr. Fox from the Fantastic Mr. Fox. He felt like there was more to existence, but he had to go on a dangerous journey to find what he already had. I am still a little confused on the part about seeing the beloved or cutting your throat about wine, so I need to spend some more time with that part.

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