PEACE


The tempest calmed after bending the branches of the trees and
leaning heavily upon the grain in the field. The stars appeared
as broken remnants of lightning, but now silence prevailed over
all, as if Nature's war had never been fought.

At that hour a young woman entered her chamber and knelt by
her bed sobbing bitterly. Her heart flamed with agony but she
could finally open her lips and say, "Oh Lord, bring him home
safely to me. I have exhausted my tears and can offer no more,
oh Lord, full of love and mercy. My patience is drained and
calamity is seeking possession of my heart. Save him, oh Lord,
from the iron paws of War; deliver him from such unmerciful
Death, for he is weak, governed by the strong. Oh Lord, save
my beloved, who is Thine own son, from the foe, who is Thy
foe. Keep him from the forced pathway to Death's door; let him
see me, or come and take me to him."

Quietly a young man entered. His head was wrapped in bandage
soaked with escaping life.

He approached he with a greeting of tears and laughter, then
took her hand and placed against it his flaming lips. And with
a voice with bespoke past sorrow, and joy of union, and uncertainty
of her reaction, he said, "Fear me not, for I am the object of your
plea. Be glad, for Peace has carried me back safely to you, and
humanity has restored what greed essayed to take from us. Be not
sad, but smile, my beloved. Do not express bewilderment, for Love
has power that dispels Death; charm that conquers the enemy. I
am your one. Think me not a spectre emerging from the House of
Death to visit your Home of Beauty.

"Do not be frightened, for I am now Truth, spared from swords
and fire to reveal to the people the triumph of Love over War.
I am Word uttering introduction to the play of happiness and
peace."

Then the young man became speechless and his tears spoke the
language of the heart; and the angels of Joy hovered about
that dwelling, and the two hearts restored the singleness
which had been taken from them.

At dawn the two stood in the middle of the field contemplating
the beauty of Nature injured by the tempest. After a deep
and comforting silence, the soldier said to his sweetheart,
"Look at the Darkness, giving birth to the Sun." 

Kalhil Gibran

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"A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out." -Walter Winchell

Slow

He dies a slow death who becomes a slave to habit, repeating everyday
the same paths, who doesn't change the mark he leaves, won't risk wearing
a new color, nor talk to people he doesn't know.

He dies a slow death who avoids passion, who prefers
black on white and dotted i's over
a whirlwind of emotions,
especially those that bring a shine to the eyes, rescue smiles
from yawns, hearts clumsy with feelings.

He dies a slow death who doesn't upend the table when he is
unhappy at work, who won't risk a sure thing
for the uncertainty behind a dream, who won't allow himself
at least once in his life, to flee from sensible advice.

He dies a slow death who doesn't travel, nor read, nor hear
music, who doesn't laugh at himself.

He dies a slow death who destroys his love for himself, who won't
let himself be helped.

He dies a slow death who spends his days complaining of his
bad luck or of the neverending rain.

He dies a slow death who quits a project before
starting it, not asking about what he doesn't know, or not
answering when asked about something he does know.

Let us avoid death by gentle insallments, remembering always
that being alive demands an effort much greater
than the simple fact of breathing.

Only firey patience will allow us to conquer
a splendid happiness. 

Pablo Neruda

On friendship



Your friend is your needs answered.
He is your field which you sow with love and reap with thanksgiving.
And he is your board and your fireside.
For you come to him with your hunger, and you seek him for peace.

When your friend speaks his mind you fear not the "nay" in your own mind, nor do you withhold the "ay."
And when he is silent your heart ceases not to listen to his heart;
For without words,in friendship, all thoughts, all desires, all expectations are born and shared, with joy that is unacclaimed.
When you part from your friend, you grieve not;
For that which you love most in him may be clearer in his absence, as the mountain to the climber is clearer from the plain.

And let there be no purpose in frienship save the deepening of the spirit.
For love that seeks aught but the disclosure of its own mystery is not love but a net cast forth: and only the unprofitable is caught.

And let your best be for your friend.
If he must know the ebb of your tide, let him know its flood also.
For what is your friend that you should seek him with hours to kill?
Seek him always with hours to live.
For it is his to fill your need, but not your emptyness.
And in the sweetness of frienship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures.
For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed."

.Kalhil Gibran

Kahlil Gibran on Love 


When love beckons to you, follow him,
Though his ways are hard and steep.
And when his wings enfold you yield to him,
Though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you.
And when he speaks to you believe in him,
Though his voice may shatter your dreams as the north wind lays waste the garden.

For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you. Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning.
Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun,
So shall he descend to your roots and shake them in their clinging to the earth.

Like sheaves of corn he gathers you unto himself.
He threshes you to make you naked.
He sifts you to free you from your husks.
He grinds you to whiteness.
He kneads you until you are pliant;
And then he assigns you to his sacred fire, that you may become sacred bread for God’s sacred feast.

All these things shall love do unto you that you may know the secrets of your heart, and in that knowledge become a fragment of Life’s heart.

But if in your fear you would seek only love’s peace and love’s pleasure,
Then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love’s threshing-floor,
Into the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter, and weep, but not all of your tears.
Love gives naught but itself and takes naught but from itself.
Love possesses not nor would it be possessed;
For love is sufficient unto love.

When you love you should not say, "God is in my heart," but rather, "I am in the heart of God."
And think not you can direct the course of love, for love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.

Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself.
But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires:
To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.
To know the pain of too much tenderness.
To be wounded by your own understanding of love;
And to bleed willingly and joyfully.
To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving;
To rest at the noon hour and meditate love’s ecstasy;
To return home at eventide with gratitude;
And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips.