Ithaca

It's no news that I rate Latin-American writers. I've been an avid fan of Paulo Coelho's blog for ages pablocoelho.blogspot.com. So much wisdom to be found there (but keep your brain on when you visit...you know what Paul says, "Everything is permissible but not everything is beneficial").

Anyhoo, I love poetry and I really really like this poem featured on the blog this week. It's a testament to the fact that our lives are journeys and every step in this journey is understood by the Author and Finisher of our faith. This is why we CAN step out in confidence everytime, live our fullest life, knowing that we're living a life of purpose because nothing surprises our God. No matter how many times our own choices make us seem unworthy of our calling, His love and our understanding of how gracious he is should encourage us to enjoy this God-given after all, every thing in this our labour of love for God works together for OUR OWN good. So Carpe Diem, seize the day...enjoy the moment...appreciate the journey...as Christiana of christianarants.com. would say, "Write Your Own Love Story."...I'll say Live Your Own Love Story.

I am. :)


ITHACA
As you set out for Ithaca
hope your road is a long one,
full of adventure, full of discovery.
Laistrygonians, Cyclops,
angry Poseidon – don’t be afraid of them:
you’ ll never find things like that on your way
as long as you keep your thoughts raised high,
as long as a rare excitement
stirs your spirit and your body.
Laistrygonians, Cyclops,
wild Poseidon – you won’t encounter them
unless you bring them along inside your soul,
unless your soul sets them up in front of you.

Hope your road is a long one.
May there be many summer mornings when,
with what pleasure, what joy,
you enter harbours you’re seeing for the first time;
may you stop at Phoenician trading stations
to buy fine things,
mother of pearl and coral, amber and ebony,
sensual perfume of every kind -
as many sensual perfumes as you can;
and may you visit many Egyptian cities
to learn and go on learning from their scholars.

Keep Ithaca always in your mind.
Arriving there is what you’re destined for.
But don’t hurry the journey at all.
Better if it lasts for years,
so you’re old by the time you reach the island,
wealthy with all you’ve gained on the way,
not expecting Ithaca to make you rich.

Ithaca gave you the marvelous journey.
Without her you wouldn’t have set out.
She has nothing left to give you now.
And if you find her poor, Ithaca won’t have fooled you.
Wise as you will have become, so full of experience,
and this is the meaning of Ithaca.

Author : Konstantinos Petrou Kavafis