INTRO:
As the Ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus once said, "the only constant in life is change." Today's wordsmith, commonly referred to as simply "Rumi," describes the ever changing circumstances of life and the uncertainty we face on a daily basis.
TODAY'S POEM: The Guest House
WORDSMITH: Jalal al-Din Rumi (1207-1273), original text is in Ancient Persian
TRANSLATOR: Coleman Barks
SOURCE: The Essential Rumi, New Expanded Edition
The Guest House
This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.
Be grateful for whatever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.
QUERIES:
1. In what ways do you agree with Rumi's metaphor of "this being human is a guest house"? In what ways do you disagree? What other metaphors can you think of for "being human"?
2. Do you think it is wise to "welcome and entertain them all!" as Rumi suggests?
3. Is it always best to embrace reality or is it sometimes better to fight it? How would your life look like if you embraced all of reality and was "grateful for whatever comes"?
4. Who are the "guests" in your house today? Try to give each one a name.
5. Imagine what your "house" looks like in your mind. Are your doors open? Are the windows open? Are they shut? Are they shut tight, locked, and boarded up? What types of "guests" are welcome in your house? What types of "guests" have you been trying (maybe in vein) to keep from entering?
A conversation has already started in the comments section, care to join? Click the link below. Remember that your words have power, so use them carefully and with love!
I like this one!
ReplyDeleteI used to think that keeping the door shut and locked would protect me from being hurt from the unknown on the outside. But, then I was shutting out not just the bad but the good. So, I started to pray for the courage to open the door.
It's made such a difference in my life. The welcomed visitors help me grow in joy, gratitude, peace, and goodness and the noy do welcomed visitors help me grow in patience, self-control, gentleness, and kindness. But, the mere act of opening the door has helped me grow in faith, hope, and love.
Thank you for your thoughtful comment on this post.
ReplyDeleteYour experiences testify to the "truth" of this poem and its "wisdom."
As a poetry lover, I am drawn to poems that deeply resonate with me. In poems like these, where we say "I LIKE THIS ONE!", we recognize that the poet has somehow captured and put down in words our own experience, thus providing evidence that others in this world also have experienced that same thing in their lives.
This evidence can be deeply affirming. It can also be very comforting because we then know that others have felt the way that we have felt, have hoped the way that we have hoped, and have suffered the way we have suffered. The magic of poetry is that it can sometimes connect us to the rest of humanity in a way that makes us feel less alone, providing a comfort and a feeling of belonging that is truly healing.
Thanks again for your comment! Keep em coming and thank you for contributing to this blog with your thoughts!
ED M