POETRY RECOMMENDATION: The Invitation 

Title: The Invitation

Author: Oriah Mountain Dreamer

Year: 1999

Tags: Poetry, Emotions, Acceptance, Love

What’s It About?

This is a bit of a different recommendation than our norm here at NTC. It’s short and sweet – not a podcast, video or book – but it is oh, so powerful. This iconic poem by Canadian poet Oriah Mountain Dreamer, “The Invitation”, is a declaration of connecting with each other in a deeper, more authentic way. Deeper than the surface of how much money one makes, or where they live. It encourages acknowledgement of the many complex and beautiful emotions that come with being human, and accepting all that we are. While it may only take a few short moments to read, it will take more time to reflect on, to process, to digest.

Find the poem on Oriah’s website, on the home page to the lefthand side: http://www.oriahmountaindreamer.com/index.php

Highlights: 

“I want to know if you can sit with pain,

mine or your own,

without moving to hide it,

fade it, or fix it.”

“I want to know if you can see beauty even when it’s not pretty everyday.

And if you can source your own life from its presence.”

“It doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me is true.

I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself.”

Caveats:

Poetry maybe isn’t for everyone, we get that. But trust us when we say, this poem speaks to *almost* everyone, one way or another.

Rating:

CITATION:

By Oriah © Mountain Dreaming,
from the book The Invitation
published by HarperONE, San Francisco,
1999 All rights reserved