Spirituality and Children and Sufi Poetry
Spirituality and Children
There’s often a certain freshness to children’s responses to the world. Susie Q summed it up in a comment to the previous thread by citing their spontaneity, ability to live in the moment, sense of wonder, and simplicity. I’m reminded of the concept of “beginner’s mind” in Buddhism.
People also noted how much less ability children have than adults to conceal their feelings and motives. From children we get little by way of feigned interest or sympathy, thinly veiled condescension, polite hostility, or any number of other adult affectations. Likewise, when children are egocentric, it’s all out there! While it can be annoying, at times it has a refreshing quality.
This combination of a fresh approach to the world around them and openness or transparency – maybe that’s what makes us often connect children with spirituality. Children don’t make good hypocrites.
Sufi Poetry Carnival
SUFI WIDGET As you can see, I still haven't really figured out how to post "widgets" but at least I think this links to it...
Tiel and Sadiq are hosting the Sufi Poetry Blog Carnival May 28th. They’re looking for poetry that reflects a relationship with the Divine; you don’t have to be a Sufi to participate. So here’s something that may fill the bill and also fits my “spirituality and children” theme:
Sky Smile
The big sky smiled so wide!
“Why don’t you smile too?”
It seemed to say.
But Jessica was crying.
“I’m blue – don’t you even get it?”
“So am I “said Sky.
“I am the blue that’s light.”
And Jessica saw that Sky was right
And really was light-blue,
Like that half-unraveled crayon
She liked to use when she was drawing sky.
So she kicked off both her shoes
Right there on the grass
To feel another kind of blue.
Paul Martin
There’s often a certain freshness to children’s responses to the world. Susie Q summed it up in a comment to the previous thread by citing their spontaneity, ability to live in the moment, sense of wonder, and simplicity. I’m reminded of the concept of “beginner’s mind” in Buddhism.
People also noted how much less ability children have than adults to conceal their feelings and motives. From children we get little by way of feigned interest or sympathy, thinly veiled condescension, polite hostility, or any number of other adult affectations. Likewise, when children are egocentric, it’s all out there! While it can be annoying, at times it has a refreshing quality.
This combination of a fresh approach to the world around them and openness or transparency – maybe that’s what makes us often connect children with spirituality. Children don’t make good hypocrites.
Sufi Poetry Carnival
SUFI WIDGET As you can see, I still haven't really figured out how to post "widgets" but at least I think this links to it...
Tiel and Sadiq are hosting the Sufi Poetry Blog Carnival May 28th. They’re looking for poetry that reflects a relationship with the Divine; you don’t have to be a Sufi to participate. So here’s something that may fill the bill and also fits my “spirituality and children” theme:
Sky Smile
The big sky smiled so wide!
“Why don’t you smile too?”
It seemed to say.
But Jessica was crying.
“I’m blue – don’t you even get it?”
“So am I “said Sky.
“I am the blue that’s light.”
And Jessica saw that Sky was right
And really was light-blue,
Like that half-unraveled crayon
She liked to use when she was drawing sky.
So she kicked off both her shoes
Right there on the grass
To feel another kind of blue.
Paul Martin
Posted by Paul at 8:54 PM Permalink
12 Comments:
what we call maturity as we become older is needed only for maintaining a good relationship with fellow humans.....we all behave like children...infact many adults do...but being adults it isn't termed as misbehaviour....
KAI, thanks.
I also can't think of children as anything other than the inner content of everyone. Alternatively they are just persons, not a different species which many of the contributions have appeared to imply.
The big sky smiled so wide!
“Why don’t you smile too?”
It seemed to say.
But Jessica was crying.
“I’m blue – don’t you even get it?”
“So am I “said Sky.
“I am the blue that’s light.”
And Jessica saw that Sky was right
And really was light-blue,
Like that half-unraveled crayon
She liked to use when she was drawing sky.
So she kicked off both her shoes
Right there on the grass
To feel another kind of blue.
I loved this poem ...and the feeling what it brought at least to me
Nasra
GB: I know what you mean. Children in some ways have been my "role models!"
YVES: That does need to be stressed sometimes. On the other hand, at least speaking personally, there were certain things I experienced in a different way - more intensely - as a child.
NASRA, glad you like it. I'm not quite sure if it's more a poem for kids or for adults, maybe both. But it came out in a simple, child-like style in any case.
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