A Church in the East

Sometimes a man stands up during supper

and walks outdoors, and keeps on walking,

because of a church that stands somewhere in the East.

And his children say blessings on him as if he were dead.

And another man, who remains inside his own house,

stays there, inside the dishes and in the glasses,

so that his children have to go far out into the world

toward that same church, which he forgot.

a poem by Rainer Maria Rilke 

Note - 

• the poem was not titled by the poet - the title of the post is mine

• the poem was written in German.  

• this version (my favorite) was translated by Robert Bly