What Do I Know
By John Herlihy

In life many questions may arise;
The answers we come to realize.

What do I know,
But the faint glimmers Nature may bestow.
What do I understand,
But the harsh warning of Nature’s reprimand.
What do I desire,
But burning love to set my heart on fire.
What do I fear,
But many of the dangers far and near.
What do I renounce,
But all my foibles and weakness to denounce.
What do I discover,
But the open secret life’s mysteries to uncover.
What do I reject,
But all that makes me imperfect.
What problem makes me feel bound,
But a solution that cannot be rightly found.
What can I do to make things right,
But steady my course with all my might.
What can I do to liberate my soul,
But give up the illusions I might have stole.

Life’s questions continue to abound;
For life’s answers seldom fully found.