Rilke
by Mary Shanley
Rainer continuously rearranged himself.
As he shed layers of historical definition
he eventually received glimpses of the beauty
of his inner world and his larger connection
to life. Though he was surely blessed, his
evolution and inevitable blows to the young
Rainer caused him to doubt his chances for
survival more than once.
Rainer had the slimmest of membranes
separating his human life and the spirit world.
Why, he wondered, despite crushing fear,
was he also illuminated? He continued to
study the ways of nature. He found inspiration
and comfort, living in the natural world.
He required patience, as seeds were planted,
and his sensibility was being formed.
Time was necessary. Rainer continued in the arms
of nature; where he was reassured he was growing,
although it was slow
He progressed through early life
as if it were a science experiment.
The elements spoke to him. He
recorded his observations; and this
work has served so many who,
later, read his words.
Rainer travelled back and forth
in time; unstable in his place
in space. Sometimes, more spirit
than man.
When the faces of mythological beings
called to him, he sought courage,
as he wondered, “Where am I?”
and “Where is this life taking me?”
His otherworldly visitors,
sometime visible, either bless
him or torment him. He accepts
the content of his days and strives
to record all of what was happening.
By tending to the needs of his deepest
self, and trusting his life was an integral
part of the natural world, his solitude grew
large and wide; until it became the safest
place for Rainer to exist. Having found peace
and rest within himself, he was now ready
to answer his calling to be the poet, Rilke
Literary Heist Literary Journal, 2019
Fast Talk and Glowing Air, 2022