The Man Watching

This excerpt from a poem by Rainer Maria Rilke is an arrow of truth that seeks to find your heart. Take a moment from scanning the dozens of blog posts in your RSS feed, the thousands of words, ideas, and bits of information that fuel your mind; and feel the message, a message of surrender, trust, and knowing. If we seek to transform education, we must use our entire selves in the process…our minds, our hearts, and our bodies. Quiet the chatter of your mind for a few moments and as you read this poem, let your heart lead.

From: The Man Watching by Rainer Maria Rilke

What we choose to fight is so tiny!
What fights us is so great!
If only we would let ourselves be dominated
as things do by some immense storm,
we would become strong too, and not need names.

When we win it’s with small things,
and the triumph itself makes us small.
What is extraordinary and eternal
does not want to be bent by us.
I mean the Angel who appeared
to the wrestlers of the Old Testament:
when the wrestler’s sinews
grew long like metal strings,
he felt them under his fingers
like chords of deep music.

Whoever was beaten by this Angel
(who often simply declined the fight)
went away proud and strengthened
and great from that harsh hand,
that kneaded him as if to change his shape.
Winning does not tempt that man.
This is how he grows: by being defeated, decisively,
by constantly greater beings.

 

It is through our own journeys that we light the path for others to follow.

 

pete