Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Stephen Levine: "Not Knowing"


















I may not know my original face
but I know how to smile.
I may not know the recipe for the diameter
of a circle but I know how to cut a slice
for a friend. I may not be Mary or the Buddha
but I can be kind. I may not be a diamond
cutter but I still long for rays of light
that reach the heart.
I may not be standing on the hill of skulls
but I know love when I see it.



"Not Knowing" by Stephen Levine, from Breaking the Drought: Visions of Grace (Larson Publications, 2007).

Art credit: Untitled image by unknown photographer.

Update (3/11/15): Thanks to some clues provided by YOBH reader Cee Joppe, I've located some information about the photograph. It originated online at this link, which unfortunately is dead. However, here's the caption (from 2011): "Yamar huurhen um be? [Mongolian for `abundant in happiness'] I’m reblogging this picture from my Peace Corps Mongolia days with a tag since I’ve been seeing it around the web and around tumblr with no source. Enjoy and reblog away! The original source is my Mongolian friend Gangaa. The picture was originally taken in Khentii Aimag."


2 comments :

  1. Wonderful poem...delightful photo! Thanks for the day-brightener!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for participating respectfully in this blog's community of readers.