love poems.

I hesitate to talk about this, for a few more days atleast, but it is making such a big impression on my currently that I feel like I must discuss. I only hesitate now because someone I love is getting a copy of this much-loved-by-me book for Christmas and I don't want to ruin the surprise. I just won't tell you who is getting it...they will know in a few days anyway.

The book is "Rilke's Book of Hours: Love Poems to God". I discovered some quotations from it when I was in India the last time but I didn't have a full copy of my own until recently. And I have loved it so dearly that I bought a copy for someone else who I think will love it just as much. The copy that I have (and this Christmas copy as well) is written in the original German and also translated to English (which is great, since I can't read, speak, or understand the first word of German and would obviously get nothing from reading the book!). It is a collection of poems, prayers to God from a human's mind and perspective. One of the most beautiful things about this is the way that the author (Ranier Rilke...I believe) chooses to portray our relationship with our creator...as Christians, we know that God technically does not need us humans. He chose to create us and now we give Him a reason to tenderly look at the world...we are His tender reason. These poems are beautiful...

This is the one that was written on pink construction paper, lovingly folded in my Bible for 3 months in India, read virtually every day, and now resides (pink paper and all) on the side of the mirror in my closet for me to see every day:

"You who know, and whose vast knowing
is born of poverty, abundance of poverty -
make it so the poor are no longer
despised and thrown away.
Look at them standing about -
like wildflowers, which have nowhere else to grow." - III, 19

And this is one of my new favorites (among many):
"Extinguish my eyes, I'll go on seeing you.
Seal my ears, I'll go on hearing you.
And without feet I can make my way to you,
without a mouth I can swear your name.

Break off my arms, I'll take hold of you
with my heart as with a hand.
Stop my heart, and my brain will start to beat.
And if you consume my brain with fire,
I'll feel you burn in every drop of my blood." II, 7

So, love poems to God.
I will share more as I find favorites and whisper them in my own heart for a while.