Thoughts on the poem, "The Prophet" by Kahill Gibran

 

From the moment I read it, I have loved The Prophet by Kahill Gibran.  In particular, I’m completely drawn to a part of one of the poems that goes like this:

                  On Children

And a woman who held a babe against

Her bosom said, Speak to us of Children.

And he said:

Your children are not your children

They are the sons and daughters of Life’s

Longing for itself.

They come through you but not from

You,

And though they are with you yet they

Belong not to you.

 

You may give them your love but not

Your thoughts,

For they have their own thoughts.

You may house their bodies but not

Their souls,

For their souls dwell in the house of to-

morrow, which you cannot visit, not even

In your dreams.

You may strive to be like them, but seek

Not to make them like you.

For life goes not backward nor tarries

With yesterday.

 

To me, this is a poem that explains brilliantly how a child begins in the womb as an extension of its mother and they are one.  After leaving the womb, the child becomes its own person in many, many ways. 

This poem is also good advice for any parent who needs to learn about letting go of your child and letting them develop into their own unique individuals.

I marvel how a man, who never carried in the womb or gave birth could write about it in such a compelling style.  Maybe Kahill Gibran created this poem to demonstrate how he experienced letting go of his mother.

Ellen