THE DANCER An Excerpt From The Wanderer by Khalil Gibran
Once there came to the court of the Prince of Birkasha a dancer and her musicians. And she was admitted to the court. And she danced to the music of the flute, the lute, and the zither.
She danced the dance of flames and fire, and the dance of swords and spears; she danced the dance of stars and the dance of space, and then she danced the dance of flowers in the wind.
When she had finished, she approached the prince and bowed her body before him. The prince bade her to come nearer, and said unto her, “Beautiful woman, daughter of grace and delight, whence comes your art? And how is it that you command all the elements in your rhythms and your rhymes?”
And the dancer came near and bowed her body again and said, “Gracious majesty, I know not the answer to your questionings. Only this I know: The philosopher soul dwells within his head, the poets soul dwells within his heart, the singers soul dwells about his throat, but the soul of the dancer abides in all her body.
A few lines I had written on similar thoughts… on the Dance and the Dancer.
We are given the gift of life
In this gift are many gifts
That are necessary to thrive as humans.
Though we may not think much of them.
Each gift is interlinked to the other
We are meant to sense at different times
We are meant to share with one another
Our gifts are meant to refine our beings.
One such gift is an ability for compassion
Without it we cease to be humane
Deeply intertwined with loving kindness
A share of compassion can lift our spirits.
How beautiful a world we would be
When each life lives with compassion
For the world beyond around and within
Knowing the preciousness of life itself.
The beauty of compassion
Is in its flow
Emnating from the depth of ones soul
Reaching out in a boundless bond
Caring sharing
Helping healing
Sensing feeling
Loving and living
Compassion connects and how!
Extend a helping hand and bring the Gift of Compassion in life and living.
This Now’ is a just a flicker
In the vast endless space.
A fleeting moment,
That travels backwards in Time.
Never to return on its one way path.
Never blink your eyes, lest you miss
The beauty of the Moment.
Some moments well captured in this time frame.
Stays afresh like the etching on a rock.
A single moment, so potent
To change the course of your life.
A bliss or curse, depends on the Awakening Awareness of its Transcience.
Seek an understanding mind
Make no effort to stagnate,
As flowing is its innate Nature.
Senses wandering free
Unmindful of the other
Thoughts floating like clouds
Unconnected actions of body n mind
Aimless moments, effortless wastage
Unaware of the flow of Time.
Like sand seeping through the fingers
‘This Now’ dissolving in the past,
Creating a formless future, at what cost?
Potent moments become futile.
Detachment is different from disconnection.
Awareness is not aligned to alienation.
Make an effort to be consciously present
Not to miss a moment of breathe,
‘Be in the Now’ to witness the magic of Life.
Anjana
Sharing my mothers reflections here on the value of the moments. She wrote this after reflecting on my earlier poem
