just listening on the radio to a man who presents Rumi poems, and also to music. he was describing how he was sent to Afghanistan by the US State Dpt. (Rumi came from Afghanistan.) In Herat, he was with a bunch of very hard-bitten men - who sat around reading their poems.
When he read his Rumi poems, he said there was no applause - they all just nodded slightly. Then they got into a heated argument over the issue of wine in Rumi's poems. He said although they looked fierce and angry, in fact they were simply passionate about Rumi and poetry.
They eventually asked him to read his own poems. again they just nodded slightly.
he also told a good Nasrudin story:
Nasrudin was on a train, and when the conductor came and asked to see his ticket, he began searching everywhere. He looked in his pants pockets, his bags, his hat, then even started searching the clothes and bags of his fellow passengers.
The conductor finally said, "Nasrudin, I know you travel this train often. Why don't you look in the place where everyone usually keeps their ticket - the top left hand pocket of your coat?"
"Don't even mention that." said Nasrudin, "for if it's not there, all hope is lost!"
