Message 16 of 394

I Love The Dark Hours of My Being

I love the dark hours of my being.
My mind deepens into them.
There I can find, as in old letters,
the days of my life, already lived,
and held like a legend, and understood.

Then the knowing comes: I can open
to another life that's wide and timeless.

So I am sometimes like a tree
rustling over a gravesite
and making real the dream
of the one its living roots
embrace:

a dream once lost
among sorrows and songs.

~ Ranier Maria Rilke ~
MartiInMexico's profile
I love the dark hours of my being.
My mind deepens into them.


More and more the older I get. Especially this year.
MartiInMexico's profile

about 1 month ago
Wonderful poem! Rilke has such a way with words.

"held like a legend and understood." Hmmm. I'll have to think about that, but the thought appeals to me.
perpetualstudent's profile

about 1 month ago
I am a long time fan of Rilke .The dark times are an essential part of life , they add depth and meaning to the good times .
Dirck's profile

about 1 month ago
I'm not sure why, but is seems to me that darkness is more real. I remember a poem on sadness, I think by Neruda, that made me realize that I am more myself when sad or down than any other time.
searching1's profile

about 1 month ago
I have to say that I cannot "get" this at all. My dark hours are horrible beings that rip me asunder--they are never welcome visitors or honored guests. Perhaps if I could get to this point--which may not be possible for me--I could better navigate the dark times.
WVfarmer62's profile

about 1 month ago
The Romantics called it "sweet melancholy," and many times we create it so that we can wallow a bit in it.

You can't enjoy the mountains unless you've been down in the valley.
crestofwaves's profile

about 1 month ago
When I am sad or down, I am much less myself, almost not myself at all. So I suppose that darkness is not my natural state.
MartiInMexico's profile

about 1 month ago