Thoughts on poems: Rabia

Written By Abril Warner

Chamomile | Photo by Abril Warner

Our Beauty*

by Rabia of Basra (circa 8th century), a Sufi saint

Live with dignity, women, live with dignity, men.

Few things will more enhance our

beauty as

much.

*from Love Poems from God:Twelve Sacred Voices from the East and West, Daniel Ladinsky, Penguin Compass, 2002, p. 4.

For me, the word “dignity,” rooted in worthiness, resonates deeply with “integrity,” which speaks to wholeness and moral clarity. To reflect on dignity through the lens of integrity is a powerful practice—this poem itself can serve as a kind of prayer, a spoken meditation. When we ask how to truly impact the world, the answer isn’t to retreat or disconnect from it. Solitude has its place, and we may need moments apart, but at our core, we are social beings. The path forward lies in living with intention—finding integrated, grounded ways to bring dignity into our daily lives. In doing so, we uphold not only our own humanity but the shared humanity of those around us.

Abril Warner

Abril P. Warner was born in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico. She received her BFA from the University of Missouri- St. Louis with a concentration in painting with theological and metaphysical content. Abril Warner earned her MFA in painting from the Academy of Art University – San Francisco where she continued her theological examination through painting. She uses abstraction as a tool for communicating the intangible, such as emotions and spirituality. Warner currently resides in Missouri where she is an art educator and mentor in higher education.

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