Life Preservers

Life Preservers - Vol. 00.75

Life Preservers

There are life-preservers—
wings of society
able to create refuges for love,
life,
and public amusement;
who, in giving up their solitude,
surrendering themselves to
their Nature,
make the land more livable and fruitful.

Though, there are many, 
of course,
oppressed by their failure,
who will always question their value
and everything else that is important—
those who prefer a cheap,
safe,
or false amusement to give into.

Young people, 
in hopes of true love,
this, simply,
cannot be.

Here are life-preservers—
wings of society
able to create refuges for love,
life,
and public amusement.
Surrender your Self to your Nature,
and make the land more livable and fruitful.

Source Material: Rilke, Rainer Maria. “Letters To A Young Poet.” Translated by Stephen Mitchell, The Modern Library, 1984, pp. 72 - 2020