Your children are not your children;

They are the sons and daughters of

Life's longing for itself.

They come through you

but they are not from you

And though they are with you



They belong not to you.



You may give them your love

but not your thoughts,

They have their own thoughts.

They have their own thoughts.

You can house their bodies but not their souls,

For their souls dwell in a place of tomorrow,

Which you cannot visit,

not even in your dreams.

You can strive to be like them,

but you cannot make them just like you.

Strive to be like them

but you cannot make them just like you



Your children are not your children;

They are the sons and daughters of

Life's longing for itself.

They come through you

but they are not from you

And though they are with you

They belong not to you.



You may give them your love

but not your thoughts,

They have their own thoughts.

They have their own thoughts.

You can house their bodies but not their souls,

For their souls dwell in a place of tomorrow,

Which you cannot visit,

not even in your dreams.

You can strive to be like them,

but you cannot make them just like you.

Strive to be like them

but you cannot make them just like you