The Beauty of Poems

I love reading poems. It definitely speaks a lot of one’s personality, struggle and creativity. To me, poems are subtle sermons or exposing oneself hoping somebody can strip them off from the thick covering of their choice of words.

I used to love Robert Frost’s poems coz he uses simple and basic words but as I grow older, I came to appreciate deeper thoughts. One of my favorite is Kahlil Gibran. I have been fascinated by his writings and poems, very profound. I could imagine how hard his childhood was- being alone without anybody to share such gift. I think the most awful poem I had read were poems from Jimmy Carter for his wife, Rose when he was in the Navy. He shared those poems in one of his books, Living Faith. It was just funny reading those poems, very straight forward just like reading a whole paragraph.

I have been posting every once in a while some of Kahlil Gibran’s poems. Here’s more:

My soul preached to me and said, "Do not be delighted because of praise, and do not be distressed because of blame."

Ere my soul counseled me, I doubted the worth of my work. Now I realize that the trees blossom in Spring and bear fruit in Summer without seeking praise; and they drop their leaves in Autumn and become naked in Winter without fearing blame.
My soul preached to me and showed me that I am neither more than the pygmy, nor less than the giant.

Ere my soul preached to me, I looked upon humanity as two men: one weak, whom I pitied, and the other strong, whom I followed or resisted in defiance.
But now I have learned that I was as both are and made from the same elements. My origin is their origin, my conscience is their conscience, my contention is their contention, and my pilgrimage is their pilgrimage.
If they sin, I am also a sinner. If they do well, I take pride in their well-doing. If they rise, I rise with them. If they stay inert, I share their slothfulness.

My soul spoke to me and said, "The lantern which you carry is not yours, and the song that you sing was not composed within your heart, for even if you bear the light, you are not the light, and even if you are a lute fastened with strings, you are not the lute player.

My soul preached to me, my brother, and taught me much. And your soul has preached and taught as much to you. For you and I are one, and there is no variance between us save that I urgently declare that which is in my inner self, while you keep as a secret that which is within you. But in your secrecy there is a sort of virtue.