A few days ago, a young woman came through my line (I am a cashier), and somehow in the course of our interaction I told her that I recite and memorize poetry, especially that written by my teacher, Sri Chinmoy. I told her that I could recite poems on the topic of her choosing. She gave me four topics, and I recited a poem on each topic:
Then after I had recited these poems, she asked me a significant question. She mused aloud, “Is it a poet’s brain or is it a poet’s heart that remembers this poetry?”
I told her that it is probably a poet’s heart, because I don’t “see” the poems, but rather my heart feels them, and my body knows them. I articulate them with my mouth and heart, but the brain is not involved.
She said, “So it is the heart of a poet, not the mind.”
