Fierce Embrace

Filed in: Quotes 101-125 Authors S-Z
It doesn’t interest me if there
is one God
Or many gods...

I want to know if you belong -
or feel abandoned;
If you know despair
Or can see it in others.

I want to know
if you are prepared
to live in the world
With its harsh need to change you;

If you can look back
with firm eyes
Saying, “this is where I stand.”

I want to know
if you know
how to melt
into that fierce heat of living
Falling toward the center of your longing.

I want to know if you are willing
To live day by day
With the consequence of love
And the bitter unwanted passion
Of your sure defeat.

I have been told
In that fierce embrace
Even the gods
Speak of God.

David Whyte