Celebration of Love...

Then said Almitra, Speak to us of Love.

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 of love's

   threshing-floor, into the seasonless

   world where you shall laugh, but not

   all of 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 your 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 its melody to 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 with 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 your lips.

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.

Ay, 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 one 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.

Kahlil Gibran

Today I celebrate the 23rd Anniversary with the Love of my Life. 23 years of pure bliss and sometimes pure agony. These words written by Kahlil Gibran, sum up quite beautifully, but yet with a poetic frankness what the great secret is to lasting love. Love CANNOT and MUST NOT possess to thrive. Love allows and does not hinder. Love nourishes and does not stifle. Love frees and does not bind. Love sees clearly and isn't blind. Love gives freely and receives graciously. Love shared affirms the very Nature of Being. 

I am thankful to have walked Love's Path these many years with an honorable and amazing man, who has taught me so much about the forgiving nature of love. He is the Shiva to my Shakti:)

Om Shanti,

Nirvani