Timeless LitWords

Rumi's poem "Only Breath" and an accompanying explanation of its core themes. The poem transcends conventional identities, asserting the speaker's detachment from religious, cultural, and physical limitations. Rumi emphasizes a state of unified existence rooted in the fundamental "breath" that connects all beings, suggesting a reality beyond human-made distinctions. Ultimately, the work invites readers to move beyond superficial labels and recognize a deeper, shared spiritual essence.

Only Breath

Not Christian or Jew or Muslim, not Hindu,

Buddhist, sufi, or zen.

Not any religion or cultural system.

I am not from the East or the West,

not out of the ocean or up from the ground,

not natural or ethereal, not composed of elements at all.

I do not exist, am not an entity in this world or the next,

did not descend from Adam and Eve or any origin story.

My place is placeless, a trace of the traceless.

Neither body nor soul.

I belong to the beloved, have seen the two worlds as one,

and that one call to and know,

first, last, outer, inner,

only that breath breathing human being.

#rumi #rumipoems #timelesslitwords

This podcast episode of Timeless Litwords explores

Kahlil Gibran's perspective on marriage, as expressed in the selection from The Prophet.

In the initial verses, Almitra inquires about Marriage, to which the Prophet responds with a profound vision of enduring togetherness . He states, "You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore" . This emphasizes the deep and perhaps spiritual connection between two individuals entering matrimony. This bond extends even to death, as he says, "You shall be together when the white wings of death scatter your days" , and even into the afterlife, in "the silent memory of God" . Despite this inherent unity, Gibran cautions against excessive closeness, advising, "But let there be spaces in your togetherness, And let the winds of the heavens dance between you". This suggests the importance of maintaining individuality and freedom within the marital bond.

The subsequent verses delve into the nature of love in marriage . The Prophet urges, "Love one another, but make not a bond of love: Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls" . This metaphor of a "moving sea" suggests a dynamic and flowing connection, contrasting with a static and restrictive "bond." He further illustrates this concept through everyday actions, saying, "Fill each other’s cup but drink not from one cup. Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf" . These lines highlight the importance of mutual support and sharing while retaining individual experiences and identities. Even in joyous activities, "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" . This beautiful analogy of the lute strings emphasizes that individual uniqueness can contribute to a shared harmony.

The final verses emphasize the giving of oneself in love without possessiveness and the necessity of maintaining individual space .... Gibran advises, "Give your hearts, but not into each other’s keeping. For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts" . This suggests that love should be an offering, not an act of ownership, as the ultimate keeper of one's being is life itself. He concludes with a powerful image of simultaneous togetherness and separateness: "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" .... The metaphors of temple pillars and trees illustrate that strength and growth in a relationship are fostered not by merging into one, but by standing independently alongside each other.