"The Arabs used to say
When a stranger appears at your door,
feed him for three days
before asking who is he,
where he's come from,
where he's headed.
That way, he'll have strength
enough to answer. Or by then you'll be
such good friends
you don't care.
Let's go back to that.
Rice? Pine nuts?
Here, take the red brocade pillow.
My child will serve water
to your horse."
Naomi Shihab Nye
5 comments:
It is sad that our world won't live like that isn't it?
holà Yoli,
...and I was about to say...they still have this amazing sense of hospitality.
I've been really touched by the genuine kindness of the people in small Moroccan villages, offering their best bread, making mint tea.
but yes Beverly above is right we should learn from this !
Have a great day chica!
ps: forgot to say..it's great you posted this poem!
:-)
What a beautiful pictures, and I agree with the others - it is very, very sad that we cannot live by this kind of credo. Does anyone else think it's strange that, after this many centuries of civilization, we have yet to do away with hand-to-hand combat as a way of resolving political issues? It feels medieval to me.
Although it is sad that most people do not live this way in the States, you would be surprised that there are many out there that do. When Hurricane Wilma happened, our area was devastated, and although there was the occasional low life that wanted to take advantage of the situation, there were so many more stories of strangers helping strangers. People I did not even know helped clear a path to rush my husband to the ER. Nurses at the hospital, which had no electrical power, would warm Kerri's bottles and offer her snacks. We shared all our food with neighbors whose names we did not even know, and a community bbq was held to feed everyone.
And where my parents live in North Florida (in the boonies), people still wave to each other when passing in cars and stop to help if a car is pulled over. When I was there recently, total strangers rushed to my Mom's bedside in the hospital to witness her Will, just because someone told them we needed witnesses.
I think most good people are afraid nowadays to open their homes or stop to help out of fear. And that's a shame. But there are still people out there willing to help a stranger.
I love this poem. I am going to remember to carry this spirit of this poem inside me.
The photo is gorgeous.
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