Unadorned

Regardless of the cries of priests and sages
I strove to give my bleeding soul her wages; 
   And each embrace or memory of one 
Is worth to me the treasures of the ages, 
Is worth to me the treasures of the ages. 

Each shadow of a kiss or fond embrace
Down in the depth of solitude I trace; 
   And in the corners of my darkest den
The fallen gods of pleasure find a place. 
The fallen gods of pleasure find a place. 

And though knee-deep I find myself in hell, 
And though the flames around my cheeks should swell, 
   I shall not loose my grip on Allah's throne, 
I shall not fall alone, I know full well. 
I shall not fall alone, I know full well. 

From Myrtle and Myrrh (The Gorham Press, 1905) by Ameen Rihani. This poem is in the public domain.