Pumpkin Cottage

Pumpkin Cottage
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Wednesday, January 11, 2012

The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran


Way back in my freshman year in high school I discovered The Prophet.  It made sense, the words seemed simple enough,  but the depth of understanding came much later after heartache, after watching my mother care for my father, after watching my mother lose my father and after celebrating a decade of a good marriage.

On Marriage

      Then Almitra spoke again and said, "And what of Marriage, master?"
      And he answered saying:
      You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore.
      You shall be together when white wings of death scatter your days.
      Aye, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God.
      But let there be spaces in your togetherness,
      And let the winds of the heavens dance between you.
      Love one another but make not a bond of love:
      Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.
      Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup.
      Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf.
      Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone,
      Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.
      Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping.
      For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.
      And stand together, yet not too near together:
      For the pillars of the temple stand apart,
      And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow.




1 comment:

  1. When I was in high school and college, many moons ago, I LOVED Kahil Gibran! In fact I still have all of his old books! It was nice to see his name again!!

    Happy New Year, Sue

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