-- Beauty in Knowing and Unknowing --

John Herlihy

Rare beauty lies in knowing,

As in having a bird in the hand.

Rare beauty lies in unknowing,

Revealing a thing once banned.

We often know some things,

Without really knowing them.

We don’t know some things,

While we know about them.

Knowing a kind of unknowing,

Knowing without realizing.

Unknowing a kind of knowing,

Unknowing yet realizing.

Death is a case in point,

 There our lives to anoint.

Death as a thing known,

Yet unknown, as wind blown.

We lives our lives,

As if we will live forever.

We know the body dies,

Yet we pretend we don’t know.

We lives our lives,

As if we won’t live forever.

The soul will live on,

Yet we pretend we don’t know.

We think we know,

What tomorrow will bring.

In fact, we don’t know,

What tomorrow will bring.

Unknowing what tomorrow brings

Will tomorrow become known.

In this way unknowing has wings,

Into life’s fabric soon to be sewn.

Beware of what we know,

Lest we betray things known.

Take heed of the unknowing,

Until they become known.

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Copyright © John Herlihy

Sunday 19 February 2023