Tea With Naomi Shihab Rye

Naomi Shihab Nye is a Palestinian American poet. Her poetry shimmers with the anguish of a whole battered nation. But it is also full of gratitude, as she notices the smallest of things and urges the reader to find grace in them.

 

For the last two months, every morning I read a poem by her. A single poem. It will probably take me years to finish all her books. But I don't care. Because this daily ritual cleanses me, readies me to face the world, with equanimity and thankfulness.

 

I feel, now she belongs to me.

 

She says -

"Let me peer out at the world

through your lens. (Maybe I'll shudder,

or gasp, or tilt my head in a question.)

Let me see how your blue

is my turquoise and my orange

is your gold. Suddenly binary

stars, we have startling

gravity. Let's compare

scintillation - let's share

starlight."

 

She's a bridge, Naomi is. Her words are flowers and never rocks. And her world always urges us to be kind.

 

Because with kindness, comes understanding, comes the stardust to change us, however small the corner of the world we might be staying in.

 

"Only kindness, that raises its head

from the crowd of the world to say

it is I you have been looking for -

and then goes with you everywhere

like a shadow or a friend."

 

If you liked this poem, consider listening to these other poems celebrating grace:

• Extraordinary Life
• Kintsugi
• Tenderness
• Of the Moon (and Other Things Which Don't Know They are Beautiful)

Find other magical things, like a lovely free chapbook of poems, and other resources here.

 

Uncut Poetry has started a new Podcast called Red River Sessions (on Spotify, iTunes, Pocket Casts, etc), where we will talk to published poets, about their poetry, their craft and what haunts them. It is brought to you by Red River, which is the premier independent publisher of poetry books, and Uncut Poetry. 

 

I am Sunil Bhandari.

 

I am a poet based out of India. My book of poetry 'Of Love and Other Abandonments' was an Amazon bestseller. My second book is 'Of Journeys & Other Ways to Get Lost'. Both are available on Amazon.

Follow me on Instagram at @sunilgivesup.

Get in touch with me on uncutpoetrynow@gmail.com

 

The details of the music used in this episode are as follows -

Mystery Of Dandela by Sascha Ende®
Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/2979-mystery-of-dandela
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

 

Sehnsucht by Sascha Ende®
Link: https://filmmusic.io/song/2922-sehnsucht
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license