12. On Children (from 'The Prophet') by Kahlil Gibran - A Friend to Hafsah Aneela Bashir

Welcome to The Poetry Exchange. We invite people to come and talk to us about a poem that has been a friend to them. In exchange we give them a gift: a unique recording of their chosen poem, inspired by the conversation and their thoughts and feelings about the poem. After a short break, we are delighted to now be returning with our second season - and what a season it is set to be! In this first episode of Season 2, you will hear Hafsah talking about the poem that has been a friend to her: ’On Children' by Kahlil Gibran. Hafsah visited The Poetry Exchange at John Rylands Library in May 2016. We’re very grateful to John Rylands Library for hosting The Poetry Exchange. Do visit them for further inspiration: www.library.manchester.ac.uk/rylands/ Hafsah is a writer and you can follow her work here: hafsahaneelabashir.wordpress.com Hafsah is in conversation with The Poetry Exchange team members, Fiona Lesley Bennett and Michael Schaeffer. ’On Children' is read by Fiona Bennett. ***** 'On Children' (from 'The Prophet') by Kahlil Gibran Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself. They come through you but not from you, And though they are with you yet they belong not to you. You may give them your love but not your thoughts, For they have their own thoughts. You may house their bodies but not their souls, For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams. You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you. For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday. You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth. The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far. Let your bending in the archer’s hand be for gladness; For even as He loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.