Poetry that moved me....

A friend of Matt gave him a book of poetry by Kahlil Gibran (1883-1931) entitled "The Prophet".  I've been reading it over the holidays.  His work moved me to tears.  And since this particular day is Mr. Gibran's birthday, I thought I'd quote a few of his words of poetic wisdom from this particular book.  The Wiki Book Synopsis says this:
"The prophet, Al-Mustafa who has lived in the foreign city of Orphalese for 12 years is about to board a ship which will carry him home. He is stopped by a group of people, with whom he discusses many issues of life and the human condition. The book is divided into chapters dealing with love, marriage, children, giving, eating and drinking, work, joy and sorrow, houses, clothes, buying and selling, crime and punishment, laws, freedom, reason and passion, pain, self-knowledge, teaching, friendship, talking, time, good and evil, prayer, pleasure, beauty, religion, and death."

Here is a portion of his book regarding children....

"And a woman who held a  babe against her bosom said, Speak to us of Children.
And he said:
Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable."

And this is a portion where he speaks of pain:

"And a women spoke, saying, Tell us of Pain.
And he said:
Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding.
Even as the stone of the fruit must break, that its heart may stand in the sun, so must you know pain.
And could you keep your heart in wonder at the daily miracles of your life, your pain would not seem less wondrous than your joy;
And you would accept the seasons of your heart, even as you have always accepted the seasons that pass over your fields.
And you would watch with serenity through the winters of your grief.

Much of your pain is self-chosen.
It is the bitter potion by which the physician within you heals your sick self.
Therefore trust the physician, and drink his remedy in silence and tranquillity:
For his hand, though heavy and hard, is guided by the tender hand of the Unseen,
And the cup he brings, though it burn your lips, has been fashioned of the clay which the Potter has moistened with His own sacred tears."

I am so enjoying this book.  I have already read it twice and am now beginning the third time.

Other than Shakespeare and Tao, Gibran is the third most publicized poet in history.  To celebrate his birthday a bit more, read here:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khalil_Gibran

So, Happy Birthday, Mr. Gibran (pronounded HaLEEL geeBRAUN - Gibran pronounced with a soft "g" or a french "j"...jeeBRAUN).....and thanks for the words...and wisdom....and thanks Matt, for leaving the book behind....for a season.