In the aftermath of hurricane Irma, this poem by Rainer Maria Rilke somehow seems fitting as we turn to the task of rebuilding.
Prayers to all those that have been touched by her path.
May the wings of hope hold us up and move us forward with courage, community, and conviction.
Sonnets to Orpheus, Part Two, XXIX
Quiet friend who has come so far,
feel how your breathing makes more space around you.
Let this darkness be a bell tower
and you the bell. As you ring,
what batters you becomes your strength.
Move back and forth into the change.
What is it like, such intensity of pain?
If the drink is bitter, turn yourself to wine.
In this uncontainable night,
be the mystery at the crossroads of your senses,
the meaning discovered there.
And if the world has ceased to hear you,
say to the silent earth: I flow.
To the rushing water, speak: I am.
