How surely gravity's law, strong as an ocean current, takes hold of the smallest thingand pulls it toward the heart of the world. Each thing---each stone, blossom, child---is held in place. Only we, in our arrogance, push out beyond what we each belong tofor some empty freedom. If we surrenderedto earth's intelligencewe could rise up rooted, like trees. Instead we entangle ourselvesin knots of our own makingand struggle, lonely and confused. So like children, we begin againto learn from the things, because they are in God's heart;they have never left him. This is what the things can teach us:to fall, patiently to trust our heaviness. Even a bird has to do thatbefore he can fly. Rainer Maria Rilke
About This Quote

This is a beautiful poem that depicts the beauty of gravity. The author depicts the literal meaning of the word fall. When we fall, we are reminded that we are precious and weighty. We can’t fly without first learning to “fall,” which means to come down to earth.

However, this poem also teaches us how to rise up again after falling. We learn that the way to fly is through true surrender. The author doesn’t try to fight gravity or anything else for that matter.

Instead, he allows the circumstances of his life to be his teacher. When he falls, he has learned something about himself and he trusts that he will rise again because gravity holds everything in place.

Source: Rilkes Book Of Hours: Love Poems To God

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