Not To Live Half A Life… with Gibran Khalil Gibran

Of late, books and stories are crossing my path, more than ever. Isn’t it how the story usually goes? 

Only that, now it is as if I am being chosen, by them and their energy — as never before.

Jessie Burton’s Confession triggers me. Watching Bridgerton once again has me detect messages I might have overlooked on first watch. Messages on gender equity, female empowerment, the courage to feel, as well as some topics and aspects of life and relationships which seem to have not evolved, much, from England’s Regency period until our day, 2021. If I may?

And it is so that I stumbled into Khalil Gibran's poem: Do Not Live Half A Life. 

No sooner had I laid my eyes on his poem than the claps of the piano and a duet of thoughts had me come along, and indulge the verses, clap by clap:

Do not love half lovers

Why would I? Would you?

Do not entertain half friends 

Istanbuuuuuul… We are friends 3ala tool!

A jamais, a jamais, Istanbul

Do not indulge in works of the half talented

Whenever I set up to do something, anything I make sure I am 100% present and mindful.

I give 100% of myself to the moment.

You?

Do not live half a life and do not die a half death

I miss bonding 100% with the water of the pool.

 I miss swimming and

I miss dancing with the waves of the sea.

My vacations by the seaside are ones of, if not the most beautiful memories of the past decade.

If you choose silence, then be silent

The harshest of truth have come to me in silence.

The greatest ideas stemmed in silence.

And it is in silence that I have always heard the loud keynotes of my soul.

When you speak, do so until you are finished 

May I finish the sentence! 

Will you allow me to express myself,

Madame Julieta, blood family, gentlemen?

Will you, for God’s sake, allow me to express a syllable of the sentence? See? This is why I have begun writing in the first place. To finish my sentence! “Fist in the mouth”, even if metaphorical, has hindered me from expressing the first syllable of the sentence. Writing has helped me to unlock myself,

from the imprisonment of half speaking. 

Do not silence yourself to say something

It’s black or white. There is no room for the grey.

I comprehend Black, White, and Creme.

These are the main colours of the

Damascene architecture.

And do not speak to be silent

Say what you mean. Say it from the top of your chest.

If you accept, then express it bluntly

Yes is a Yes, dearest.

Do not mask it

Show your true colours, show the “You”

— your unique signature.

While you are at it give them a full kiss!

Not a crumb of a kiss.

If you refuse then be clear about it 

for an ambiguous refusal 

is but a weak acceptance

I refuse to have anything but

100%, pure, unconditional Love

Should there not be any of it, out there,

then I shall create it!

To me, there is no other way, 

For I come from a Rose, the Damascene Rose.

Do not accept half a solution

Should there be no way for the solution then I shall

forge the solution

Do not believe half truths

What is your truth?

You'll know it's true for truth and love have the highest vibration in the whole wide Universe.

You'll feel it. You'll know it.

Do not dream half a dream

I’ve always dreamed big.

And I am keeping a tight record of my dream.

As I have told you before, I dream every night, intense and lengthy dreams. I write them down, every day.

Do not fantasize about half hopes

Keep the faith and keep the hope in!

Half a drink will not quench your thirst

It won’t!

But a tiny drop of true, authentic, unconditional love works wonders. 

Yes, Khalil, I want all of that cup. Indeed we are not to drink of the same cup. Yet that cup of love you oft made mention of — I want to indulge it to the fullest.

Half a meal will not satiate your hunger

It won’t! Neither will it help the children of the Universe.

Half the way will get you no where

I’m on the road, to “Damascus”.

Like Saul -- Saint Paul.

Aren’t we all during this exquisite Covid-19 pandemic?

Back to the Collective Self or ascending to the New Collective Self of the 

Humans of Terra? Is it possible?

Half an idea will bear you no results

Breath by breath, and bead by bead, 

Only a full intention 

Your other half is not the one you love

It is you in another time yet in the same space

My sentiments of late! 

As if I am living a brand new dimension and all the souls descending from the gate of the universe are… exquisite Humans.

Can you tell how blessed I am?

It is you when you are not