"The Prophet" by Kahlil Gibran

I have written about Kahlil Gibran quite extensively on Vocal.

And while I have already reviewed The Prophet, I have never explained why this book is so important to me.

"I have a gift for you," my aunt said to me on a beautiful summer day, over a quarter of a century ago. "This is a special book called 'The Prophet'. I know you will like it. If you don't, you can always return it to me."

A couple of hours later, I opened the book and was immediately transported into another world. I fell in love on the spot and missed dinner that night—to the great displeasure of my mother.

In fact, I missed pretty much everything that was happening around me during the next few days. When I was not busy reading, you could find me in a bookstore fishing for every single story Kahlil Gibran had ever written, both in French and in English...

Since then, I have opened a random page of The Prophet several times a year, either to feed my soul or to inspire a poem, story, flashku, or project.

To say that this book changed my life is an understatement. I call it my personal bible. It is the only thing I turn to when I need inspiration and a little pick-me-up. The drawings that sprinkle the story also add another layer to the whole experience. (The photo at the top of my post is just one example.)

To this day, I have yet to find another book that tops The Prophet. In fact, my high expectations as a reader stem from my encounter with Gibran's story. Every book I read is compared to it. Do not ask me why, it just happens naturally.

While poetry helped me recover my voice, The Prophet has influenced everything I do as an artist. My attempts at emulating Gibran's style in the early days of my writing career failed miserably (of course), but were instrumental in cementing my style.

In 2017, I released a book titled Life’s Little Things, which features simple quotes and matching photography, as an invitation to readers to reflect on the human condition and our never-ending connection to nature. One of the reviews I received likens my work to Gibran's himself.

Reminiscent of Gibran’s nostalgic, vibrant, and soulful poetry and prose, the quotes for each photograph evoke the best moments in life. I found myself transported to memories I treasure but often forget. Reading this was like lazing in a hammock under a sun-drenched sky. It was a stirring experience in all the best ways. - Kelsey Stone

(As you can imagine, this comment is one of the highlights of my career.)

Should Gibran still be alive today, I have no idea whether he would approve of my work. However, I am sure of one thing: The world would be a much different place if he had not written The Prophet.

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I wrote this story in response to the Book Club Challenge organized by Vocal.

Theme: Write about a book that changed you.

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Cendrine Marrouat is a writer, photographer, podcaster, blogger, anthology editor, and the co-founder of Auroras & Blossoms and A Warm Cup of Cozy. She has authored and co-authored more than 40 books, including The Train: A Short Story (2023), In Her Own Words: A Collection of Short Stories & Flashku (2022), After the Fires of Day: Haiku Inspired by Kahlil Gibran & Alphonse de Lamartine (2021), Rhythm Flourishing: A Collection of Kindku and Sixku (2020), Walks: A Collection of Haiku (2019-2020), and In the Silence of Words: A Three-Act Play (2018).

Cendrine's work has appeared in many publications. She is the creator of the Sixku, Flashku, Sepigram, and Reminigram; as well as the co-creator of the Kindku, Pareiku, Vardhaku, and Hemingku.

Website: https://creativeramblings.com