Speak to us of Love...

The Bridge, Aquarelle on paper by Leandra

Taken from the book "The Prophet" by Kahlil Gibran, these words describing the ups and downs of love are beautiful and deeply insightful.
I have quoted from The Prophet before here in my journal - in the article I wrote after my father passed away last year, I quoted a portion about death - and indeed, this is a book that has had much meaning to me since my student days when I was first introduced to Gibran's writings. It accompanied me in many roles of loving and living, being a wife and particularly a mother, with work and play and so many things along the path of practical human life.
This particular passage accompanied me very recently, offering me comfort, support and clarity at a time when loving seemed to be a deeply painful process. It helped give my pain direction and meaning, and as I slowly understood the full meaning of Gibran's words, it allowed love's warmth to once again surface in my soul, melting the pain into clear flowing water, rippling over cool earth stones, beautifully.
And so I share it with you all, with warm love in my heart, and a kiss upon my lips.
Namaste,
Leandra

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 would you.
And when he speaks to you believe in him,
Thought 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 hi 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 fulfil 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"