Islamic Poetry and Other Literature

Risk

-- Anonymous --
To laugh is to risk appearing the fool
To weep is to risk appearing sentimental
To reach out for another is to risk involvement
To expose feelings is to risk exposing your true self
To play your ideas, your dreams before the crowd,
is to risk their loss
To love is to risk not being loved in return
To live is to risk dying
To hope is to risk despair
To try is to risk failure
But the risk must be taken,
because the greatest hazard in life
is to risk nothing
The person who risks nothing, does nothing,
has nothing, and is nothing
One may avoid suffering and sorrow
but simply cannot learn,
feel, change, grow, love
Chained by certitudes, one is a slave
one has forfeited freedom
Risk all and give all to God
and one becomes free for all eternity


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