Kahlil Gibran - The Poet's Voice

Even though I have very little of his talent, I have related highly to the man known to the world as Kahlil Gibran - his temperament, his voluntary alone-ness, his writings of shame and exile, his mourning of a deep love that was removed from him by the vicissitudes of life and modern society. I relate to these feelings heavily, so much so that I consider him a kindred soul.....

On occasion, I will post some of his writings that I find particularly poignant.

With that short introduction - as I am sure you have heard of him by now, his "The Prophet" is immensely popular - I give you selections [with comments by me in brackets] from a chapter of "Tears and Laughter", page 85, called:


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The Poet's Voice
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The power of charity sows deep in my heart, and I reap and gather the wheat in bundles and give them to the hungry.

My soul gives life to the grapevine and I press its bunches and give the juice to the thirsty.

Heaven fills my lamp with oil and I place it at my window to direct the stranger through the dark.

I do all these things because I live in them; and if destiny should tie my hands and prevent me from so doing, then death would be my only desire. For I am a poet, and if I cannot give, I shall refuse to receive.

Humanity rages like a tempest, but I sigh in silence for I know the storm must pass away while a sigh goes to God.

Human kind clings to earthly things, but I seek ever to embrace the torch of love so it will purify me by its fire and sear humanity from my heart.

Substantial things deaden a man without suffering; love awakens him with enlivening pain.

Humans are divided into different clans and tribes, and belong to countries and towns. But I find myself a stranger to all communities and belong to no settlement. The universe is my country and the human family is my tribe.

Men are weak, and it is sad that they divide amongst themselves. The world is narrow and it is unwise to cleave it into kingdoms, empires, and provinces.

Humans unite themselves only to destroy the temples of soul, and they join hands to build edifices for earthly bodies. I stand alone listening to the voice of hope in my deep self saying, "As love enlivens a man's heart with pain, so ignorance teaches him the way to knowledge." Pain and ignorance lead to great joy and knowledge because the Supreme Being has created nothing in vain under the sun [I heartily disagree with that last sentiment, almost everything that exists was created "in vain"; i.e. its creation is its fulfillment. The rest of it is only man's attitude in relation to it writ large].
...
Humanity is the Spirit of the Supreme Being on earth, and that humanity is standing amidst ruins, hiding its nakedness behind tattered rags, shedding tears upon hollow cheeks, and calling for its children with pitiful voice. But the children are busy singing their clan's anthem; they are busy sharpening the swords and cannot hear the cry of their mothers.
...
Thou art my brother or sister because you are a human, and we are both children of the One Spirit; we are equal and made of the same earth.

You are here as my companion along the path of life, and my aid in understanding the meaning of hidden Truth. You are a human, and that fact sufficing, I love you like a brother or sister. You may speak of me as you choose, for Tomorrow shall take you away and use your talk as evidence for his judgment, and you shall receive justice.

You may deprive me of whatever I possess, for my greed instigated the amassing of wealth and you are entitled to my lot if it satisfy you.

You may do unto me what you wish, but you cannot kill my soul nor hurt my spirit.

You may tie my hands with chains and my feet with shackles, and put me in the dark prison, but you shall not enslave my thinking, for it is free, like the breeze in the spacious sky.
...
[P]rotecting others' rights is the noblest and most beautiful human act; if my existence requires that I kill others, then death is more honorable to me, and if I cannot find someone to kill me for the protection of my honor, I will not hesitate to take my life by my own hands for the sake of Eternity before Eternity comes.

Selfishness, my brother/sister, is the cause of blind superiority, and superiority creates clanship, and clanship creates authority which leads to discord and subjugation.
..
The only authority I obey is the knowledge of guarding and acquiescing in the Natural Law of Justice.
...
My soul is my friend and consoles me in misery and distress of life. He who does not befriend his soul is an enemy of humanity, and he who does not find human guidance within himself will perish desperately. Life emerges from within, and derives not from environs [even though it is heavily influenced by them].

I came to say a word and I shall say it now. But if death prevent its uttering, it will be said by Tomorrow, for Tomorrow never leaves a secret in the Book of Eternity.

I came to live in the glory of Love and the light of Beauty, which are the reflections of God. I am here living, and the people are unable to exile me from the domains of life for they know I will live in death. If they pluck my eyes I will hearken to the murmurs of Love and the songs of Beauty.

If they close my ears I will enjoy the touch of the breeze mixed with the incense of Love and the fragrance of Beauty.

If they place me in a vacuum, I will live together with my soul, the child of Love and Beauty.

I came here to be for all and with all, and what I do today in my solitude will be echoed by Tomorrow to the people.

What I say now with one heart will be said tomorrow by many hearts.

The Virus

This was written by me at a temp job in 1987 - yes, 22 years ago! Some things have changed....

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The Virus
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What is it like to be human?
-the creator of a world that is not there?
What is it like to be human?
-to see yourself looking through the inside instead of looking at a glob of dust and clay from a glass bubble floating in the spaciousness of a lost ego?
What is it like to be human?
-to be acknowledged as a human?
-to be loved like an individual?
What is it like to be human?
I stand empty, devoid of glory before a mirror of consciousness that rejects me.
What is it like to be human?
-there is a lot of fish in the sea, I am told.
The lumbering bear cub scares the fish-
when he arrives at the waters of the world and reaches out
-he grasps nothing.
What is it like to be human?
-not to scare off everyone by one’s inexperience and trepidation?
What is it like to be human?

My eyes bulge out and view a hostile society.
Is it paranoia?
-or a touch of truth caressing the cheek of my desires?

What is it like to be human?
-a serpent that puts fear into the strongest of beasts.
Must I crawl on my belly and grovel in the dirt forever?
What is it like to be human?

Why does society slither on its belly
-slimy and cold?
Zombies smile a false, dictated grin.
In another world one like you would be decapitated.

But then, so what?

I live forever
-I cannot die.
Cut off my head
-and I plant my multitudinous form somewhere else.

I am
-fear and loneliness

incarnate.