Featured Poem: Moving Forward by Rainer Maria Rilke

If you haven't been paying attention to the march of time, then this Monday morning may prove more muddled than usual...here in the UK the clocks went forward by one hour early on Sunday meaning, that it is now officially British Summer Time. Unfortunately an elusive hour was stolen from us all collectively (not good for us busy Readers), but on the up side it also means that there's an extra hour of daylight for us to enjoy from now on (no more poring over books by candlelight, unless of course you prefer to read that way).

The notion of going forward is one that, barring losing precious time sleeping, is largely positive. If you're feeling in a hesitant mood about whether you should have made that certain decision lately, are in need of a push along the way towards the Easter weekend ahead or just fancy seeing the world in a new light, then this poem by Rainer Maria Rilke (translated into English by Robert Bly) will go down a treat. We especially like the line 'It seems that things are more like me now,' - a sentiment to make us all feel settled when the world appears to be an uncertain place. We're not so sure about 'my feeling sinks, as if standing on fishes' (here at The Reader, we wouldn't advocate standing on fishes or any other form of marine life)...one to ponder this Monday morning.

Moving Forward

The deep parts of my life pour onward,
as if the river shores were opening out.
It seems that things are more like me now,
that I can see farther into paintings.
I feel closer to what language can't reach.
With my sense, as with birds, I climb
into the windy heaven, out of the oak,
and in the ponds broken off from the sky
my feeling sinks, as if standing on fishes.

Rainer Maria Rilke