A Quaker Poem

Photo by Richard Russell

A  tu lado mareado
Abrumado por tus ojos
El roce de tus manos
Me deja paralizado.
 
El cuerpo está en la tierra,
Con corazón acelerado,
Pero el alma está volando
Liberado por tus encantos.
 
At your side I’m dizzy,
Overwhelmed by your eyes.
The touch of your hands
Leaves me paralyzed.
My body’s on the Earth,
My heart beating fast,
But my soul’s flying away,
Freed by your charms.
~ Richard Russell
 
How can I name a poem about romantic love, “A Quaker Poem.” Well, love is love in all its forms, and Quakerism—as I understand it—is about love. In the love of a man for a woman, as in this poem, we see a reflection of the love of God for human beings. Jesus told us to “love God,” but how can human beings truly love the hidden power that animates the Universe? We must instead love our neighbor; and in loving our neighbor, we love God. So, I could have titled the poem something like, “I Love My God through Thee”  or “Fly Away, my Soul.”

~ Richard Russell