-- The Art of the Senses --

By John Herlihy

To explore the art of the senses,

We must let down our defenses.

To find we must dare to inquire,

To answer let the senses inspire,

To go where we may fear to go,

To know what we fear to know.

We see, but what do we see?

We hear, but what do we hear?

We smell, but what do we smell?

We taste, but what do we taste?

We touch, but what do we touch?

We see, but we do not really see.

We hear, but we do not really hear.

We smell, but we do not really smell.

We taste, but we do not really taste.

We touch, but we do not really touch.

We see, but we only see the visible.

We hear, but we only hear the audible.

We smell, but we only smell the odorous.

We taste, but we only taste the palatable.

We touch, but we only touch the touchable.

Those who can truly see come to see.

Those who can truly hear come to hear.

Those who can truly smell come to smell.

Those who can truly taste come to taste.

Those who can truly touch come to touch.

We see when we finally see the invisible.

We hear when we finally hear the inaudible.

We smell when we finally smell the fragrant-full.

We taste when we finally taste the undetectable.

We touch when we finally touch the untouchable.

Then, we finally see what we have truly seen.

Then, we finally hear what we have truly heard.

Then, we finally smell what we have truly smelt.

Then, we finally taste what we have truly tasted.

Then, we finally touch what we have truly touched.

In truly seeing, we too have finally been seen.

In truly hearing, we too have finally been heard.

In truly smelling, we too have finally been smelled.

In truly tasting, we too have finally been tasted.

In truly touching, we too have finally been touched.

This is what it means when we come to know.

This is the result when the inner senses bestow.

To open the layers of consciousness to reveal,

What the literal senses obscure and conceal.

To use our senses beyond the here and now,

Thus revealed the Divinity as His sacred vow.

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(c) John Herlihy 24 April 2019