Reading Comprehension: “I have been thinking”

Good morning!

Wow, March already! How did that happen?

Do you know Kabir? He is a famous mystic poet and saint of India. Today we will look at one his most well-known poems: “I have been thinking”

Poem

I have been thinking of the difference between water
and the waves on it. Rising,
water’s still water, falling back,
it is water, will you give me a hint 
how to tell them apart?

Because someone has made up the word
“wave,” do I have to distinguish it
from water?

There is a Secret One inside us;
the planets in all the galaxies
pass through his hands like beads.

That is a string of beads one should look at with luminous eyes.

Vocabulary

Mystic – a person who tries to gain religious or spiritual knowledge through prayer and deep thought : someone who practices mysticism.

Waves – an area of moving water that is raised above the main surface of an ocean, a lake, etc.

Hint – a small piece of information that helps you guess an answer or do something more easily.

Made up – to invent.

Distinguish – to notice or recognize a difference between people or things.

Beads – a small, usually round piece of glass, wood, stone, etc., that has a hole through its center and that is put on a string with other similar pieces and worn as jewelry or that is sewn onto clothing.

String of beads – a long, thin piece of twisted thread that you use to attach things, tie things together, or hang things, like beads.

Luminous – producing or seeming to produce light, filled with light.

Isn’t that a beautiful poem?

Do you like poetry?