You were born together,
and together you shall be forevermore.
and together you shall be forevermore.
You shall be together when the white wings of death
scatter your days.
scatter your days.
Ay, you shall be together
even in the silent memory of God.
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.
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.
between the shores of your souls.
Fill each other's cup, 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 land 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.
This poem, by Kahlil Gibran, melts my heart every time I read it.