I keep lots of poems on my phone that I like to read periodically. Memorizing poetry is a lost art and I enjoy doing that — the rhyme and meter also helps with learning foreign languages through poetry, as the rhythm and repetition really sticks in your mind.

This is a famous poem by Mawlana Jalaladdin Rumi, better known in the West as just Rumi, called مهمان خانه, or "The Guest House.” 

I memorized the original in Persian and this English version is more like an exegesis than a direct translation. But it is a beautiful rendition that encapsulates the meaning of the poem very well. If I'm ever feeling down, I think about The Guest House and feel better. 

While using religious language in its original, the message of the poem also resonates with therapeutic techniques found in modern cognitive behavioral therapy. Enjoy:

Writer, podcaster, and commentator on foreign affairs and politics. Runs /dropglobalnews

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  /curatedbydilek
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Wow, I need more of this. What a great piece. Will look for more of this guy

Beautiful. I find him to become increasingly relevant as technology gets more pervasive in our lives