Marriage and Friendship

MARRIAGE

Then Almitra spoke again and said, "And what of Marriage, master?"

And he answered saying:

You were born together, and together you shall be

forevermore

You shall be together when white wings of death scatter

your days.

Aye, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God.

But let there be spaces in your togetherness,

And let the winds of the heavens dance between you.

Love one another but make not a bond of love:

Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.

Fill each other's cups but drink not from one cup.

Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf.

Sing and dance together and be joyous,

but let each one of you be alone,

Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver

with the same music.

Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping.

For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.

And stand together, yet not too near together:

For the pillars of the temple stand apart,

And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's

shadow.

(Kahlil Gibran: The Prophet)

In the Arc of Your Mallet - (RUMI) -

Do not go anywhere without me.
Let nothing happen in the sky apart from me,
Or on the ground, in this world or that world,
Without my being in its happening.

Vision, see nothing I don't see.
Language, say nothing.  The way the night
Knows itself with the moon, be that with me.
Be the rose nearest to the thorn that I am
I want to feel myself in you when you taste food,
In the arc of your mallet when you work.
When you visit friends,
When you go up on the roof by yourself at night.

There is nothing worse
Than to walk out along the street without you.
I don't know where I'm going.
You are the road and the knower of roads,
More than maps, more than love.

Two differing thoughts about the same thing -- you know...both equally true.

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Morsel for Thought and Taste: Silk Road Tour 11 - Urumqi - Abigail Washburn & The Village by AbigailWashburn

In Urumqi in western China we watch a Uyghur orchestra perform a personal concert for us. Then go to a magical dinner at the Grand Bazaar where we jam with some talented Uyghur musicians around a table filled with the finest Uyghur dishes. It was truly one of the highlights among many on this whirlwind tour across the Silk Road.

‪http://abigailwashburn.com‬

Full Silk Road Tour Playlist:
‪http://www.youtube.com/user/AbigailWashburn#grid/user/8A4BE13075AAFBDF‬