The Pomegranate

The Pomegranate

By Khalil Gibran

Once when I was living in the heart of a pomegranate,

I heard a seed saying, "Someday I shall become a tree, 

and the wind will sing in my branches, and the sun

will dance on my leaves, and I shall be strong and beautiful

through all the seasons."

Then another seed spoke and said, "When I was young as you,

I too held such views; but now that I can weigh and measure things,

I see that my hopes were vain."

And a third seed spoke also, "I see in us nothing that promises so great a future."

And a fourth said, "But what a mockery our life would be, without a greater future."

Said a fifth, "Why dispute what we shall be, when we know not even what we are."

But a sixth replied, "Whatever we are, that we shall continue to be."

And a seventh said, "I have such a clear idea how everything will be,

but I cannot put it into words."

Then an eighth spoke-and a ninth-and a tenth-and then many-

until all were speaking, and I could distinguish nothing for the many voices.

And so I moved that very day into the heart of a quince,

where the seeds are few and almost silent.