To an English Friend in Africa-
Be grateful for freedom
To see other dreams.
Bless your loneliness as much as you drank
Of your former companionships.
All that you are experiencing now
Will become moods of future joys
So bless it all.
Do not think your ways superior
To another's
Do not venture to judge
But see things with fresh and open eyes
Do not condemn
But praise what you can
And when you can't be silent.
Time is now a gift for you
A gift of freedom
To think and remember and understand
That ever perplexing past
And to re-create yourself anew
In order to transform time.
Live while you are alive.
Learn the ways of wisdom and silence
Learn to act, learn a new speech
Learn to be what you are in the seed of your spirit
Learn to free yourself from all things that have moulded you
And which limit your secret and undiscovered road
Remember that all things which happen
To you are raw materials
Endlessly fertile
Endlessly yielding of thoughts that could change
Your life and go on doing forever.
Never forget to pray and be thankful
For all the things good or bad on the rich road;
For everything is changeable
So long as you live while you are alive.
Fear not but be full of light and love
Fear not but be alert and receptive
Fear not but act decisively when you should
Fear not but know when to stop
Fear not for you are loved by me
Fear not for death is not the real terror
But life - magically - is.
Be joyful in your silence
Be strong in your patience
Do not try to wrestle with the universe
But be sometimes like water or air
Sometimes like fire
Live slowly, think slowly, for time is a mystery
Never forget that love
Requires that you be
The greatest person you are capable of being
Self generating and strong and gentle
Your own hero and star.
Love demands the best in us
To always and in time overcome the worst
And lowest in our souls
Love the world wisely.
It is love alone that is the greatest weapon
And the deepest and hardest secret
So fear not, my friend
The darkness is gentler than you think.
Be grateful for the manifold
Dreams of creation
And the many ways of unnumbered peoples.
Be grateful for life as you live it
And may a wonderful light
Always guide you on the unfolding road.
March 1991
Ben Okri
To see other dreams.
Bless your loneliness as much as you drank
Of your former companionships.
All that you are experiencing now
Will become moods of future joys
So bless it all.
Do not think your ways superior
To another's
Do not venture to judge
But see things with fresh and open eyes
Do not condemn
But praise what you can
And when you can't be silent.
Time is now a gift for you
A gift of freedom
To think and remember and understand
That ever perplexing past
And to re-create yourself anew
In order to transform time.
Live while you are alive.
Learn the ways of wisdom and silence
Learn to act, learn a new speech
Learn to be what you are in the seed of your spirit
Learn to free yourself from all things that have moulded you
And which limit your secret and undiscovered road
Remember that all things which happen
To you are raw materials
Endlessly fertile
Endlessly yielding of thoughts that could change
Your life and go on doing forever.
Never forget to pray and be thankful
For all the things good or bad on the rich road;
For everything is changeable
So long as you live while you are alive.
Fear not but be full of light and love
Fear not but be alert and receptive
Fear not but act decisively when you should
Fear not but know when to stop
Fear not for you are loved by me
Fear not for death is not the real terror
But life - magically - is.
Be joyful in your silence
Be strong in your patience
Do not try to wrestle with the universe
But be sometimes like water or air
Sometimes like fire
Live slowly, think slowly, for time is a mystery
Never forget that love
Requires that you be
The greatest person you are capable of being
Self generating and strong and gentle
Your own hero and star.
Love demands the best in us
To always and in time overcome the worst
And lowest in our souls
Love the world wisely.
It is love alone that is the greatest weapon
And the deepest and hardest secret
So fear not, my friend
The darkness is gentler than you think.
Be grateful for the manifold
Dreams of creation
And the many ways of unnumbered peoples.
Be grateful for life as you live it
And may a wonderful light
Always guide you on the unfolding road.
March 1991
Ben Okri
No comments:
Post a Comment