THE INVITATION BY ORIAH

It does not interest me                                                          
what you do for a living.
I want to know what you ache for
and if you dare to dream
of meeting your heart's longing.
It does not interest me
how old you are.
I want to know if you will risk
looking like a fool
for love
for your dream
for the adventure of being alive.
It does not interest me
what planets are
squaring your moon.
I want to know
if you have touched
the center of your sorrow
if you have been opened
by life's betrayals
or have been shriveled and closed
from fear of further pain
I want to know
if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fake it
or fix it.

Digital shot along blogger's jogging route in Serangoon, Singapore. The island- state, the 6th wealthiest nation in the world, is a clean, peaceful and orderly place. One can jog even at midnight and the wee hours and no one will molest you, no dog will bark at you, no policeman will rob you.

I want to know                                                       it does not interest me                                             
if you can be with joy
mine or your own                                                  if the story you are telling  me
                                                                               is true.
if you can dance with wildness                              I want to know if you can disappoint
and let the ecstacy fill you                                      another to be true to yourself
to the tip of your fingers
 or toes                                                                    if you can bear the accusation of betrayal
without cautioning us                                              and not betray your soul
to be careful                                                             if you can be faithless
to be realistic                                                           and therefore trustworthy.
to remember the limitations                                    I want to know if you can see Beauty
of being human.                                                      even when it is not pretty everyday.
                                                                                and if you can source your own life
                                                                                from its presence.
                                                    I want to know if you can live with failure
                                                    yours or mine and still stand
                                                    at the edge of the lake
                                                    and shout to  the silver of the moon,
                                                    '' Yes."
                                                    It does not interest me where you live
                                                    or how much money you have.
                                                    I want to know if you can get up
                                                    after the night of grief and despair 
                                                    weary and bruised to the bone

                                                    
and to do what needs to be done

to feed the children.
It does not interest me who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the centre of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.
It does not interest me
where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you
from the inside
when all else fade away.
I want to know if you can be
alone with yourself
and if you like the company
you keep in the empty moments.

by Oriah @mountain dreaming