As promised.....

I shall be sharing extracts from Kahlil Gibran's book "The Prophet."

I sms'ed Shaheema last night and asked her to bring her copy of the book to work with her. I received an email from her this morning with the extract already typed out!! She knew which one I would request even without me saying anything!! Couz, you know me too well, hehehehehe!!

With today's post, I'll share what the author writes about marriage. On my reading of this particular extract, I developed goosebumps!!! I sometimes wonder if my situation with my failed marriage would have been different had I read this extract earlier in my life. But like Shaheema always says, and so do I, there's a particular reason why I didn't. Lessons come when the pupil is ready to learn!!

Then Almitra spoke again and said...

"And what of Marriage, master?"

And he answered saying:

You were born together,

and together you shall be forevermore.

You shall be together when the white wings

of death scatter your days.

Aye, you shall be together even in the silent

memory of God.

But let there be spaces in your togetherness,

and let the winds of the heavens dance between you.

Love one another, but make not a bond of love.

Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.

Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup.

Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf.

Sing and dance together and be joyous,
but let each of you be alone.

Even as the strings of a lute are alone

though they quiver with the same music.

Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping.

For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.

And stand together, yet not too near together.

For the pillars of the temple stand apart.

And the oak tree and the cypress

grow not in each other's shadow.

From a personal perspective, I think that every couple embarking on marriage should read this extract & learn from it. It holds boundless wisdom, and if we should take cognisance of it there would be less marriages ending. Don't you think??

I'm quite ecstatic to report that Shaheema has asked Moi to read this particular extract at her wedding reception Insha-Allah!! And why wouldn't I?? It's the most appropriate piece of poetry to start on a lifelong journey Insha-Allah Ameen!!

Guilty as charged......

Yes, I haven’t been very punctual about updating my blog lately and believe me, it shows. Writing down my thoughts has always been an outlet for me and since I haven’t been doing just that, my head feels kinda muddled!! Or maybe I should blame it on all the time I have been spending on Facebook?? :)



Or, perhaps it’s the new developments taking place in my life at this moment?? Whatever the reasons, I should get down to it, shouldn't I?? So, here goes……..



On Tuesday evening while attending a school meeting, I was quite surprised by the opening address given by the Principal. Mr. Daniels is quite a blabber mouth and once he gets started there’s no stopping him, hehehe!! Anyhow, after greeting the parents he goes on & mentions some verses he had come across concerning children. What he read made me want to jump up from my seat & shout “I just read that book a couple of months ago!!” And as he read the extract I felt the tears spring from behind my lids & course down my cheeks.



I’d like to share what he read to the parents there that evening because this specific author made such a huge impact on me as a person. I actually read the book over and over again, gleaning a new perspective with each read. The extract comes from a book by Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet. This man’s gift for poetry is immeasurable!! His writing is simple yet touching, his ability to turn mundane everyday experiences into sheer art just boggles the mind!! And most importantly, he exposes our humanity.



Yeah, Yeah, I’ll shut up already & get down to those specific verses, hehehe!!

The Prophet

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons & daughters of Life’s longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,
which you cannot visit,
not even in your dreams.

You may strive to be like them,
but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backwards nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your children as living
arrows are sent forth.

The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and
He bends you with His might that his arrows may go swift
and far.

Let your bending in the archer’s hand be for gladness;
For even as He loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also
The bow that is stable.

Need I say more????

I will endeavor to post other extracts concerning love, marriage, laws & everything else Mr. Gibran touches on, in the hopes that it would inspire you as much as his writing has inspired me.