A Poem from Rilke

In my MOD CIV class, I'll be reading poems with the class as well as looking at the history of Europe from about 1850-2001.  This is in addition to the books the students will read ( see earlier post).

Anyway, here is the first poem we will meet:

 The Future 

 The future: time's excuse

to frighten us; too vast
a project, too large a morsel
for the heart's mouth.

Future, who won't wait for you?

Everyone is going there.
It suffices you to deepen
the absence that we are.

 Rainer Maria Rilke

Translated by A. Poulin