Thursday Short Poem: Milosz's "Love"

I've had several poems up from the late Czeslaw Milosz; this is another fine (and brief) one.

Love   

Love means to learn to look at yourself
The way one looks at distant things
For you are only one thing among many.
And whoever sees that way heals his heart,
Without knowing it, from various ills
A bird and a tree say to him: Friend.
Then he wants to use himself and things
So that they stand in the glow of ripeness.
It doesnt matter whether he knows what he serves:
Who serves best doesn't always understand.

Those last two lines speak to me about two things:  marriage and faith.  It's a fine reminder, isn't it?

Comments

[Rachel]

My mother and I have each posted over our desks the following short poem by Milosz:

IF THERE IS NO GOD

If there is no God,
Not everything is permitted to man.
He is still his brother's keeper
And he is not permitted to sadden his brother
By saying there is no God.

(Translated from the Polish by the author and Robert Haas)

[Hugo]

Oh, that's good. That might have to go above my desk, along with my favorite Walter Wink quote:

"Christians have never dealt well with the inner darkness of the redeemed."

[Jeze B.]

This is introspective. It makes you realize that love is all about truth, especially with yourself. It has a very calming and peaceful quality. And yes, we are all many things, and to see a person with only one vision is a great injustice to them, and to ourselves.

[Hugo]

Jeze. B, Martha, whatever: I'm asking you to STOP POSTING UNDER MULTIPLE NAMES. I know your IP address, I log everyone's IP address -- either use a different computer or pick ONE NAME and stick with it. It's about honestly representing yourself in the blogosphere.

If this continues to happen, I will block your IP.

[Caitriona]

Oh! I'll have to send that Walter Wink quote to my husband. He's contemplating re-reading Wink's series on the powers.

[karamae]

Milosz talks about the way we view ourselves , thinking we are the supreme owners of this world and refusing to share love with other creations of god, we need to learn to be humble. Tq.