A new way of being together

A few months ago, I came across this poem. It hit me to the core. I cry every time I read it. It speaks of a new way of being: being alone and being together.

The first time I read it, I thought: “What a beautiful way of being together and relating to one another. Wouldn’t it be amazing if we lived in a world where human beings are just like this and have this kind of relationships? Our lives would be so different”.

Sometimes, we don’t know how to change or which way to go. This poem invites us to reconsider our habits and see other ways of just being with one another. It is an invitation to dig deep within ourselves and others, rather than remain on the surface of things of fleshing out the unimportant, letting go of old habits and embracing what matters.

It is interesting the role of art in our emotions and thinking, with the potential to change our behaviour. The phrase Poetry of the heart comes to mind when describing this poem.

Let me know what you think and/or feel.

 

The Invitation

by Oriah

It doesn’t interest me
what you do for a living.
I want to know
what you ache for
and if you dare to dream
of meeting your heart’s longing.

It doesn’t interest me
how old you are.
I want to know
if you will risk
looking like a fool
for love
for your dream
for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn’t interest me
what planets are
squaring your moon…
I want to know
if you have touched
the centre of your own sorrow
if you have been opened
by life’s betrayals
or have become shrivelled and closed
from fear of further pain.

I want to know
if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.

I want to know
if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you
to the tips of your fingers and toes
without cautioning us
to be careful
to be realistic
to remember the limitations
of being human.

It doesn’t interest me
if the story you are telling me
is true.
I want to know if you can
disappoint another
to be true to yourself.
If you can bear
the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.

I want to know
if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand at the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
“Yes.”

It doesn’t interest me
to know where you live
or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after the night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.

It doesn’t interest me
who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the centre of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.

It doesn’t interest me
where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know
what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.

I want to know
if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like
the company you keep
in the empty moments.

By Oriah © Mountain Dreaming,
from the book The Invitation
published by HarperONE, San Francisco,
1999 All rights reserved

http://www.oriahmountaindreamer.com/

 

photo credit: Sillouettes of tomorrow via photopin (license)

 

2 Comments

  1. Kathy Pine on June 29, 2015 at 5:10 am

    OMG I absolutely LOVE this poem. LOVE it. It speaks so many truths about human connection. It touches me to think about my own growth over the past year, and how many lessons it speaks that I have had to personally go through. It is beautiful!!!

    • amor on June 29, 2015 at 9:31 am

      Thank you Kathy for letting me know how you feel. Yes, it’s all about CONNECTION. Thanks for connecting. Your comment makes it all worthy and encourages me to continue.

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