Monday, November 2, 2009

The Invitation by Oriah

I feel certain I have posted this along the way but man, it's worth repeating.  I love this poem.  I love how it embodies ALL that we are as complex, multi-faceted beings.

I am my shadow and my light, I am my together and my falling apart, my chaos and my balance, my crazy and my sane.

I HIGHLY recommend reading Oriah's book, "The Invitation" where she writes about the path to her truly touching poem--she too celebrates all the pieces of her whole.

And now...The Invitation.

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.

It doesn't interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the centre of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life's betrayals or have become shrivelled and closed from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it, or fade it, or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own; if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, be realistic, remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself. If you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul. If you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty even when it is not pretty every day. And if you can source your own life from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand at the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, 'Yes.'

It doesn't interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone and do what needs to be done to feed the children.

It doesn't interest me who you know or how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the centre of the fire with me and not shrink back.

It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you from the inside when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.

5 comments:

Annabellie said...

What a gorgeous poem! And what a gorgeous blog to go along with it. I'm definitely going to be following you.

And thanks for the comment on my blog!

Tina said...

Thank you so much...I enjoy your blog too and intend to become a regular.

Oriah has several poems that are just as inspiring and soul-charging, she's also written a few books. I really love her take on life.

Love.

shinyyoga said...

no way! My friend quoted me this poem today so I went searching for it.. and just posted it on my site.. then came across your site and here we are! I love it when the world is in sync like that :)

beautiful blog, have a wonderful day and thanks for the inspirationx

Tina said...

Wow! You gotta love that for timing huh? Super cool!

Thanks for your kinds words.

Beautiful day to you...or evening ;-)

Anonymous said...

Love this poem! Its definitely one I return to again and again!