Valentine's Day

Valentine's day. The day chocolate makers and flower growers look forward to all year. The day of love. The worst day of the year to be single LOL. I thought long and hard about what to post for today, and I came up with this little gem from "The Prophet" by Kahlil Gibran. He was a Lebanese poet and writer whose work I highly regard.

And he raised his head and looked upon the

people, and there fell a stillness upon them. And

with a great voice he said:

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 wound you.

And when he speaks to you believe in him,

Though 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 he 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 on love's threshing floor.

Into the seasonless world where you shall laugh,

but not all 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 you course.

Love has no other desire but to fulfill 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

it's melody into 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 to 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 you lips.

Happy Valentine's Day.

See you when I see you.

Baron