…If we surrendered
to earth’s intelligence
we could rise up rooted, like trees.
Instead we entangle ourselves
in knots of our own making
and struggle, lonely and confused.
So like children, we begin again…
to fall,
patiently to trust our heaviness.
Even a bird has to do that
before he can fly.
― Rainer Maria Rilke, from “How Sure Gravity’s Law,” Rainer Maria Rilke’s the Book of Hours: A New Translation with Commentary
Note:
- Photo: DK @ Daybreak. February 8, 2023, 6:35 am. Cove Island Park, Stamford, CT. More pictures from this morning’s beautiful light show here.
- Poem: Thank you Vale of Soul-Making
- Post Title & Inspiration: Aldous Huxley: “It’s dark because you are trying too hard. Lightly child, lightly. Learn to do everything lightly. Yes, feel lightly even though you’re feeling deeply. Just lightly let things happen and lightly cope with them.”
we just can’t seem to get it right
Nope
It occurs to me that we have been given the gift of this amazing thing… The human brain… Capable of so much when used with care… But it does not come… With an instruction manual… * sigh *
(Unrelated comment)… As I sit here… Unable to sleep… Poking around using Google… I find the park where David has gone 1000 times…beautiful. I poke around some more… It scares me, this thing called the Internet, as I have probably found where David lives… Roughly 2.2 miles from the park…(So much for privacy)…And my house is roughly a 5 1/2 hour drive almost directly above his on the map in Vermont…Very close to the Canadian border… I ponder a bit more…Long ago I chose to make a career out of writing software… And it allows me to discover these things in a minute or two… I wonder… Has the software I develop made the world a better place, or a more dangerous place?… I suspect the answer is both… (I am rambling… Apologies for that!)…But then a little light bulb goes on… The red maple leaf that David includes in every post… Why is it there? Then I recall where David was born… I read this in the “about me“ section of his blog. David was born in a very small town in British Columbia!… I suspect that red Mapleleaf is honoring the country of his birth… And I smile… Because I have relatives and friends in Canada… 🙂 🇨🇦 I too, am proud of the maple leaf!
and if it did. Would we read it? 🙂
Thanks a lot for this Rilke poem. We love Rilke’s poems as well as his novel “Malte Laurids Brigge”.
Wishing you a happy day
The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
Thanks Klaus. I need to check out his book.
I can’t imagine what it would be like if we actually learned from history instead of repeating it.
Unimaginable….
Wow, reading this relaxed my muscles.
I was not letting gravity pull me down all the way, hmmm.
Love when poetry and science meet. Because I feel there’s always poetry intertwined with every scientific finding/fact.
“There’s always poetry intertwined with every scientific finding/fact.” Love that.
I’m glad, Laila! People look at me like I’m crazy when I say that.
and most of those People, most of the time would be right.
those are the same ones that say I’m a Gypsy!!!
Correct!
And the same ones who say that earth is flat!!!!!!
Or have no clue which end the sun rises and sets!
LAUGHING….
Simply gorgeous. Photos and poem. I’ve been meaning to pick up Rilke for a long time now, I’ll take this as my sign ✨🌍
Thanks Laila…
David, I’ve been hibernating writing a novel. This is great. I love Rilke, and this one hits home. Thank you.
Hibernate away. Good for you!
Hmmm, there’s a lot of truth here.
There is!
<
div dir=”ltr”>
<
blockquote type=”cite”>
There is so much to love here. An undying love for Rilke. Not always easy to understand, to ‘get him’. My father, a Swiss but growing up in Germany, instilled his deep love for Rilke and others, Rilke’s power of wording sentiments and thoughts, memories of my dad ‘getting married’ to your precious photos – a happy moment.
Power of his words sentiments and thoughts. Exactly!
We know many things but we apply few 🙂
Truth!!!