January 4th, 2026

Written by Rainer Maria Rilke

"5th Rule of Love
Below" 

Listen, Quiet friend who has come so far,

feel how your breathing makes more space around you. Let this darkness be a bell tower

and you the bell. As you ring,

what batters you becomes your strength.
Move back and forth into the change.
What is it like, such intensity of pain?
If the drink is bitter, turn yourself to wine.

In this uncontainable night,
be the mystery at the crossroads of your senses,
the meaning discovered there.

And if the world has ceased to hear you,
say to the silent earth: I flow.
To the rushing water, speak: 

I am.

Sonnets to Orpheus II, 29

5th Rule of Love 
By Shams of Tabriz 

 Most of the problems of the world stem from linguistic mistakes and simple misunderstanding. Don’t ever take words at face value. When you step into the zone of love, language, as we know it, becomes obsolete. That which cannot be put into words can only be grasped through silence.