You Are Not Surprised

You are not surprised at the force of the storm —
You have seen it growing.
The trees flee. Their flight
Sets the boulevard streaming. And you know:
The one whom they flee is the one
You move toward.
All your senses sing, as you stand at the window.
Summer was like your house: you knew
Where each thing stood.
Now you must go out into your heart
As onto a vast plain. Now
The immense loneliness begins.
The days go numb, the wind
Sucks the world from your senses
Like withered leaves.
Through the empty branches the sky remains.
It is what you have.
Be earth now, and evening song.
Be the ground lying under the sky.
Be modest now, like a thing ripened until it is real,
So that God, who began it all
Can feel you when she reaches for you.

Rilke (The Book of Hours)