I recently read Rilke's short work of poetry entitled Poems from the Book of Hours and was blown away. Here are a few of my favorites:
"We are all Workmen"
We are all workmen: prentice, journeyman,
or master, building you — you towering nave.
And sometimes there will come to us a grave
wayfarer, who like radiance thrills
the souls of all our hundred artisans,
trembling as he shows us a new skill.
We climb upon the rocking scaffolding,
the hammers in our hands swing heavily,
until our foreheads feel the caressing wing
of a radiant hour that knows everything,
and hails from you as wind hails from the sea.
Then hammerstrokes sound, multitudinous,
and through the mountains echoes blast on blast.
Only at dusk we yield you up at last:
and slowly your shaping contours dawn on us.
God, you are vast.
"What Will You Do God, When I Die?"
What will you do, God, when I die?
When I, your pitcher, broken, lie?
When I, your drink, go stale or dry?
I am your garb, the trade you ply,
you lose your meaning, losing me.
Homeless without me, you will be
robbed of your welcome, warm and sweet.
I am your sandals: your tired feet
will wander bare for want of me.
Your mighty cloak will fall away.
Your glance that on my cheek was laid
and pillowed warm, will seek, dismayed,
the comforts that I offered once –
to lie, as sunset colors fade
in the cold lap of alien stones.
What will you do, God? I am afraid.
"Put Out My Eyes"
Put out my eyes, and I can see you still;
slam my ears to, and I can hear you yet;
and without any feet can go to you;
and tongueless, I can conjure you at will.
Break off my arms, I shall take hold of you
and grasp you with my heart as with a hand;
arrest my heart, my brain will beat as true;
and if you set this brain of mine afire,
upon my blood I then will carry you.
While I suggest you get the real book, heres a link to an olnine version:
http://thefloatinglibrary.com/rilke/poems-from-the-book-of-hours/
Do it!!!
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